LIFE AND LETTERS 



OP 



WASHINGTON IRVING. 



PEOPLE'S EDITION. 
VOL. I 



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Frwi the ori/pnaJ. d-?'mr7>7g Jjy yand^rlyit, S'ans, 2805. 




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THE 



LIFE AND LETTERS 



OF 



WASHINGTON IRVING. 



BY HIS NEPHEW, 

PIERRE M. IRVING. 



SE VISED AND CONDENSED, IN THREE VOLUMES. 



VOLUME I. 



PHILADELPHIA : 

J. B. LIPPINCOTT A CO. 
1873. 



?^J. 



a\ 



\ 






Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by 

PlEEBE M. Ieving, 

In thB Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for 

the Southern District of New YorV 



EXCHANGF 

o 

JUK 12 19^ 

Serial Pf 1 

1 ■ , 

Co>v 



PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 




liHE work, of which I now offer the first 
volume to the public with the most 

unfeigned diffidence, has been mainly 

compiled from papers committed to me by Mr. 
Irving, with the understanding that I was to con- 
struct a biography from them, should it be my 
fate to survive him. " Somebody will be writing 
my life when I am gone," said he to me some 
years before his death, and after having resisted 
repeated applications for an autobiography, " and 
I wish you to do it. You must promise me that 
you wOl." 

Though deeply sensible of the confidence im- 
plied in such a request, my first impulse was to 
decline an office so responsible, and for which I 
felt myself so little qualified; but the request 
was repeated with an earnestness which showed 
the subject had seriously engaged his thoughts, 
and with the assurance that he would be able to 
place in my keeping materials which he would 
only confide to a relative, and which would of 
themselves go far to furnish a picture of his life 
from his first launch in the world. I yielded my 
scruples to this assurance ; and not long after, he 
placed in my possession a mass of material, con- 



Vi PREFACE. 

sisting of journals, note-books, diaries at scattered 
intervals, and a large collection of family letters 
with files of others from various correspondents, 
which, as he said, he had neither time nor spirit 
to examine or arrange. He afterwards procured 
for me his numerous letters to his friend, Henry 
Brevoort, which were furnished through the kind- 
ness of his son, J. Carson Brevoort, Esq. ; and 
shortly before his death indicated to me others, 
both in this country and in Europe, which, if still 
in existence, might be of interest in a narrative 
of the shiftinor scenes of his life. Of these I 
have been able to obtain, since his death, the 
originals or copies of such as had been preserved ; 
and to them have been added numerous letters, 
both of his early and later life, which have been 
contributed by various friends, to whom I here 
offer my acknowledgments. 

In the delicate office of sifting, selecting, and 
arranging these different materials, extending 
through a period of nearly sixty years, it has 
been my aim to make the autlior, in every stage 
of his career, as far as possible, his own biog- 
rapher, conscious that I shall in this way best 
fulfill the duty devolved upon me, and give to 
the world the Tuest picture of his life and char- 
acter. 



CONTENTS OF VOLUME I. 



CHAPTER I. 

PAQl 

Birth, Parentage, and Ancestry. — William De Irwin. 
— Curious Tracing of the Descent. — Settlement in 
New York. — Flight to Rahway. — A Prisoner's 
Certificate. — Home of the Author's Boyhood. — 
His Domestic Training. — His Baptism. — Early 
Introduction to his Namesake 1 

CHAPTER II. 

Benjamin Romaine. — Passion for Reading. — Longing 
to see the World. — Commences the Study of the 
Law. — His First Voyage up the Hudson, as related 
by himself ........ 11 



CHAPTER III. 

Enters the Office of Josiah Ogden Hoffman. — The Hoff- 
man Family. — First Letters. — First Essays in 
Print. — Expedition to Ogdensburg. — Extracts 
from Journal. — Plunge in the Black River. — Cap- 
ture of a Deer. — Hardships of the Wilderness.— 
A Jealous Savage. — Indian Ceremonial. — An Ex- 
change of Names. — Ogdensburg Revisited . . 21 

CHAPTER IV. 

Departure for Europe. — Emotions on Leaving. — Letter 
from Quarantine. — Arrival at Bordeaux. — Cona- 



viii CONTENTS. 

PAOl 

mencement of Journal. — From Bordeaux to Nice. 

— Scenes and Incidents by the Way. — Whimsical- 
ities of the Little Doctor. — A Sham Prisoner. — 
French Passport. — Spice of Travelling Philosophy. 

— Police. — A Spy. — A Suspected Traveller. — 
Detention 38 

CHAPTER V. 

Continued Detention. — Friendly Offices of Dr. Henry. 

— Liberation. — Takes Felucca for Genoa. — A 
Whistling Shot. — Loiter at Genoa. — Agreeable 
Acquaintances. — Determines to visit Sicily. — Al- 
lusion to Duel of Hamilton and Burr ... 55 



CHAPTER VI. 

From Genoa to Messina. — Christmas at Sea. — Ad- 
venture with Pirates. — Quarantine. — High Con- 
verse with Captain Strong . . . • • 64 

CHAPTER Vn. 

Scylla and Charybdis. — Nelson's Fleet. — Passage to 
Syracuse. — Ear of Dionysius. — The Listening 
Chamber Explored. — Catania. — Partial Ascent of 
iEtna. — To Palermo. — Dismal Accommodations. — 
A Night Alarm. — A Chance Entertainment . . 74 

CHAPTER VIIL 

Palermo. — Passage to Naples. — Ascent of Vesuvius. — 
Farewell to Naples. — Rome. — Allston thfe Painter. 
— Proposes to Irving to try the Brush. — Suspense 
of the Latter. — Torlonia the Banker. — His Flatter- 
ing Attentions. — Its Ludicrous Solution. — Baron 
Von Humboldt. — Madame De Stael ... 91 



CONTENTS. ix 

CHAPTER IX. 

PAGB 

From Rome to Paris. — Milan. — Inci'easing Fondness 
for Opera. — Arrival in Paris. — Journal relin- 
quished. — Vanderlyn. — Extract of i^etter to Peter. 

— From Paris to London. — Kemble. — Cooke. — 
Siddons. — Anecdote of Geoffrey Craj'on and Mrs. 
Siddons. — Nelson's Victory. — Passage Home . 101 

CHAPTER X. 

New York Society in 1806. — The Lads of Kilkenny. — 
The Old Hall at Newark.— City Resorts.— Ad- 
mission to the Bar — Letter to JVIr. Hofiman . . 120 

CHAPTER XI. 

Letter to Miss Fairlie. — Mingles in an Election. — Pas- 
sage of a Letter from Miss Fairlie. — His Likeness. 

— Letter to Miss Fairlie. — Attends the Trial of 
Burr. — Letter to Mrs. Hoffman. — General James 
Wilkinson. — Letter to James K. Paulding. — Strik- 
ing Account of the first Encounter of Burr and Wil- 
kinson. — Strictures on No. 10 of "Salmagundi" 
by himself. — Thomas A. Cooper, the Tragedian. 

— Letter to Miss Fairlie. — Last Interview with 
Burr. — Death of his Father 137 

CHAPTER XII. 

Discontinuance of " Salmagundi " — Disparaging Esti- 
mate of the Work by Irving. — Paulding's Allusion 
to it. — Remarks on the Subject by Duyckinck and 
Bryant. — Reprinted in London in 1811. — Reviewed. 

— Knickerbocker Commenced. — Peter Embarks 
for Europe. — Change in the Plan of Knicker- 
bocker. — Matilda Hoffman. — Her Death . . 15i 



CONTENTS, 
CHAPTER XIII. 



PAQt 



Letter to Peter Irving. — Curious Heralding of the " His- 
tory of New York." — Concern of a City Func- 
tionary for the Missing Diedrich. — Its Publication. 

— Visit to Albany. — Diedrich' s Reception among 
the Dutch. — Opinions of Knickerbocker. — Scott. 

— Verplanck. — Letter to Mrs. Hoffman . . 168 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Letter to Mr. Hoffman. — To Mrs. Hoffman. — Biograph- 
ical Sketch of Campbell. — First Perusal of the 
" Lady of the Lake." — Longings for Independ- 
ence. — Partnership Proposal. — Embraces it . . 183 

CHAPTER XV. 

Visit to Washington. — Letter to Brevoort. — Jarvis the 
Painter. — Mrs. Madison's Levee. — Knickerbocker 
the Congressman. — Extract of a Letter to Mrs. 
Hoffman. — Mrs. Renwick. — Letter to Brevoort. 

— Letter to William Irving. — Joel Barlow and the 
Secretaryship of Legation. — Letters to Brevoort. 

— George Frederick Cooke, the Actor. — His Per- 
formance of Macbeth. — His Benefit at the Park 
Theatre 193 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Change of Quarters. — Literary Relaxation. — Passages 
of a Letter to Brevoort. — Breaking out of the War. 

— Letter of James K. Paulding. — Visit to Wash- 
ington. — Letter to James Renwick. — Letter to 
Peter Irving. — To Brevoort ..... 211 

CHAPTER XVIL 

The " Analecti ; Magazine" commenced. — His Contri- 
butions to it. — Letter to Ebenezer Irving. — Bre- 



CONTENTS. xi 

FAQI 

voort Transmits Scott's Opinion of the " History of 
New York." — Introduces Francis Jeffrey. — Peter 
Irving and Campbell the Poet. — Letter of Peter Ir- 
ving. — A Day at Sydenham. — Mrs. Siddons. — 
Brevoort's Return. — Change of Quarters to Mrs. 
Bradish's. — Letter to Ebenezer Irving . . . 223 

CHAPTER XVIIL 

The War. — The Flag. — Hears of the British Entry 
into Washington. — Joins the Staff of Governor 
Tompkins. — An Expected Attack on the City. — 
Sent to Sackett's Harbor on Lake Ontario. — His 
Journey. — Return to New York. — Tompkins. — 
An Unexpected Salute and its Result. — William 
Irving in Congress. — Washington's Letter to him. 
— His Visit to Philadelphia — Failure of Moses 
Thomas, the Publisher of the "Analectic." — De- 
catur and his Proposition. — Embarkation for Eu- 
rope 232 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Arrival at Liverpool. — News of the Battle of Water- 
loo. — Elation of John Bull. — Peter's Indisposition. 
— Visit to Birmingham. — To London. — To Syden- 
ham. — Mrs. Campbell. — Tour in Wales. — First 
Experience in the Cares of Business. — Extracts 
from Letters to Brevoort. — Letter to Brevoort. — 
Sordid Cares. — Anxiety for Remittances. — Ex- 
cursion to London. — Miss O'Neil. — Kean.— Camp- 
bell 248 

CHAPTER XX. 

Anxious Days. — Letter to Brevoort. — Peter's Return 
to Liverpool. — Viin Attempts to revive the Liter- 
ary Feeling. — Letter of Allston. — Death of his 



ai CONTENTS. 



PAGB 



Mother. — Letter to Allston. — Ogilvie's Prediction. 

— A Day with Campbell. — Dinner with Murray. — 
D'Israeli. — Letter to Peter Irving .... 261 

CHAPTER XXL 

Letters to Peter. — Visit to Edinburgh. — Jeffrey. — 
"William C. Preston. — Lady Davy. — Visit to Ab- 
botsford. — Anecdotes of Scott and his Family. — 
Excursion to the Highlands with Preston. — Con- 
stable. — Scott's Lnpression of Irving. — Letter to 
Brevoort on his Approaching Marriage. — Camp- 
bell. — Exertions of William to obtain for Wash- 
ington Secretaryship of Legation .... 280 

CHAPTER XXII. 

Bankruptcy. — Studies German. — Letter from Allston, 
giving Account of his New Subject for Knicker- 
bocker. — His " Angel Uriel." — Leslie's Opinion of 
it. —Letter from Allston. — Lord Egremont's Pur- 
chase of his *' Jacob's Dream." — Letter to Leslie. 

— Goes up to London to try his Pen. — Parting with 
Allston. — Sketch of Leslie and Newton. — Letter 
to Brevoort about New Edition of Knickerbocker. 

— No intention of Publishing in England. — De- 
clines an Offer of a Place under Government . 295 

CHAPTER XXIIL 

Transmits Number I. of the " Sketch Book." — Let- 
» ter to Ebenezer Irving on the Subject. — Motives 
for Remaining in Europe. — Letter to Brevoort re- 
questing him to assume the Guardianship of his 
Literary Interests, etc. — Moses Thomas and Third 
Edition of Knickerbocker. — Publication of First 
Number of " Sketch Book." — Verplanck's Notice 
of Nuriber I. — Number II. of the " Sketch Book." 



CONTENTS. xiii 

FAGB 

— Dana's Remarks on " Rural Life in Ingland." — 
William Godwin on Number 11. — Impatient Long- 
ing for Accounts from America. — Ogilvie's Sym- 
pathy. — Letters to Brevoort. — Letter from Bre- 
voort. — Publication of Number IIL — Number IV. 
forwarded. — Letters to Brevoort. — Letter to Les- 
lie. — Republication of Number I. in the " London 
Literarj' Gazette." — The Three American Num- 
bers offered to Murray. — His Refusal. — Applies to 
Scott. — His Reply. — Draft of Irving's Reply. — 
Second Letter from Scott. — Resolve to Publish in 
England at his own Risk 309 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

Ebenezer Irving takes charge of his Literary Concerns 
in America. — Transmits No. V. to him, consisting 
of " Christmas." — Written for Peculiar Tastes. — 
Transmits No. VI. — " Legend of Sleepy Hollow." 

— The first Four Numbers published in England by 
Miller. — Author's Advertisement to the Edition. — 
Letter of Scott on the Subject. — Passage of a Let- 
ter from Leslie. — Failure of Miller. — Murray takes 
" Sketch Book " in Hand. — A Peep into his Draw- 
ing-room. — Letter to James K. Paulding. — Gifford, 
the Editor of the " Quarterly Review." — Scott. — 
Views of Matrimony. — Decatur. — English Edition 
of a Second Volume of the " Sketch Book" com- 
menced. — Transmits No. VII. to New York. — The 
last of the American Series. — Publication of Sec- 
ond Volume in London. — Allusion to Lockhart's 
Review of Knickerbocker in " Blackwood." — Let- 
ter to Brevoort. — Belzoni. — Hallam. — About to 
cross the Channel. — Yearnings for Home . . 344 

CHAPTER XXV. 

Lodgings in Paris. — Growing Popularity of the " Sketch 
Book " in England. — Its Parentage ascribed to 



Xiv CONTENTS. 

PA«n 

Scott. — Correspondence on the Subject. — Christ- 
mas Invitation. — Murray authorizes Draft of One 
Hundred Guineas for " Sitetch Book," in addition to 
the Terms agreed upon, and publishes Knicker- 
bocker. — Letter to Leslie. — His Designs for Knick- 
erbocker. — His Likeness of Geoffrey. — Peter Pow- 
ell's Burlesque Account of its Costume. — The Au- 
thor's Sensitive Comment, and Leslie's Keply. — 
Subjects chosen by Leslie for Knickerbocker. — The 
Author's opinion of them. — Increasing Reputation 
in England 362 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

Makes the Acquaintance of Thomas Moore, the Poet. — 
Visit to the Prison of Marie Antoinette. — Letter to 
Brevoort. — Reasons for remaining Abroad. — 
Moore. — Canning. — Moore's Hint of the Origin 
of '' Bracebridge Hall."— Another Glimpse of Irving 
from Moore. — John Howard Payne. — Talma. — 
His Performance of Hamlet. — Letter to Leslie. — 
Kenney, Author of '' Raising the Wind," etc. — Lut- 
trel. — Introduced to the Hollands. — Murray begs 
his Acceptance of an Additional One Hundred 
Pounds for the " Sketch Book." — The Author's 
Letter thereupon. — Reads Manuscript to Moore. 
- Bancroft. — Sets otf for England July 11th, hop- 
ing to have Something ready for the Press by Au- 
tumn 377 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

The Coronation of George IV. — Meeting with Scott. — 
Detained in London about a Play of Payne. — Lit- 
erary Concerns — Excursion to Birmingham with 
Leslie. — " The Stout Gentleman." — Its Moral. — 
Kept at Birmingham by Illness. — Newton's Intro- 
duction to La Butte by himself. — Leslie and Pow- 
ell's Joint Account of their Housekeeping in Buck- 



CONTENTS. XT 

PAOB 

ingham Place. — Letter to Leslie. — Death of his 
Brother William. — Moore 395 

CHAPTER XXVIIL 

Return to London. — Transmits First Volume of" Brace- 
bridge Hall." — Moses Thomas. — Cooper and " The 
Spy." —Sends otF Volume H. " Bracebridge Hall." 

— Makes Contract with Murray for Publication in 
England. — John Randolph. — Mrs. Siddons. — Visit 
to Wimbledon, one of the Country-seats of Earl 
Spencer. — Meeting with Rogers. — Visit to the 
Country-seat of Thomas Hope. — Lines written in 
the Deep Dene Album. — Rogers. — Matthews, ttie 
Comedian. — Preparing for an Excursion into Ger- 
many 408 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

Aix-la-Chapelle. — Old Custom. — Mayence. — Intro- 
duction to the " Tales of a Traveller." — Heidelberg. 

— Letter from Moore. — Munich. — Eugene Beau- 
harnois. — Vienna. — The Young Napoleon . . 420 

CHAPTER XXX. 

From Vienna to Dresden. — Private Theatricals. — Let- 
ter to Mrs. Van Wart. — Letter to Peter. — The 
Conspiracy. — Plays Sir Charles Rackett in "Three 
Weeks after Marriage." — Letter to Leslie. — Ex- 
tracts from Note-Book. — Leaves Dresden for Paris 42i 



LIFE AND LETTERS 

OF 

WASHINGTON IRVING. 



CHAPTER L 

Birth, Parentage, and Ancestry. — William De Irwin. — Cu- 
rious Tracing of the Descent. — Settlement in New York. 
— Flight to Rahway. — A Prisoner's Certificate. — Homo 
of the Author's Boyhood. — His Domestic Training. — Hia 
Baptism. — Early Introduction to his Namesake. 




lASHINGTON IRVING was bom in 

the city of New York, April 3d, 1783. 
Me was the eio-hth son of William and 
Sarah Irving, and the youngest of eleven chil- 
dren, three of whom died in infiincy. He had 
four brothers and three sisters who lived to ma- 
ture age, and whom, as 1 shall have occasion to 
speak of them in the course of my narrative, I 
here name in the order of birth : William, Ann, 
Peter, Catharine, Ebenezer, John, Sarah. 

The parents of Washington came from the 
opposite ends of Great Britain ; his father from 
the Orkneys ; his mother from Cornwall. The 
father was the son of lAIagiius Irving and Catha- 

VOL. L i 



2 LIFE AND LETTERS 

rine Williamson, and his ancestors bore on theii 
seals the three holly leaves, which are the arms 
of the Irvines of Drum, one of the oldest and 
most respectable families of Scotland, which dates 
its origin from the days of Robert Bruce. 

According to a received tradition, in his secret 
and precipitate flight for Scotland from the court 
of Edward I., Bruce sought shelter in the tower 
of Woodhouse, the dwelling of an Irving of 
Bonshaw, who was chief of the name. Here he 
was harbored for some time, and on leaving, he 
took with him the eldest son of his host, whom 
he made his secretary and armor bearer. The 
son accompanied him through all his varying for- 
tunes, was with him when he was surprised and 
routed at Methven, in June, 1306, shared all his 
sul:>sequent dangers and hardships, and was one of 
seven who lay concealed with him in a copse of 
holly when his pursuers passed by. In memory 
of his escape in this extremity of peril, Bruce 
assumed the holly as a device, and afterwards 
gave it to his faithful secretary, with the motto, 
Sub sole sub umbra virens. The motto and the 
evergreen leaves, both having relation to his un- 
changing fidelity to his king in prosperity and 
adversity, in sunshine and in shade, have been the 
arms of the family ever since. Sir William Ir- 
vine, as he is styled in Nisbet's " Heraldry," ^ was 

1 The name is written in ancient deeds and parchments in 
i great variety of ways, as Irvin, Erwyne, De Irwin, etc. Dr. 
Christopher Irvine, one of the stock, in 1660 says: " Some of 
ihe foolish write themselves Irving." The present family ol 
Drmn spells the name Irvine. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 3 

subsequently Master of the Rolls, and the char- 
ter is still extant, dated 4th October, 1324, by 
which the king conveyed to his faithful and be- 
loved William De Irwyn, in free barony, the lands 
of Drum, a hunting-seat of the kings of Scot- 
land, situated on the north bank of the river 
Dee, about ten miles from Aberdeen. The tower 
of Drum, with its walls of solid masonry, still 
stands as sound and unimioaired as when the 
estate was conveyed, and is still occupied by the 
Irvings, and lays claim to the distinction of being 
the oldest inhabited dwellins: in Scotland. 

William De Irwyn married Mariota, the daugh- 
ter of Sir Robert Keith, Great Mareschal of 
Scotland, who led the horse at Bannockburn, and 
was killed at the battle of Duplin in 1332. 

Of this family, says Dr. Christopher Iivine, 
historiographer of Charles II., in an ancient docu- 
ment quoted in Playfair's " British Family Anti- 
quity," are the Irvines of Orkney. But at what 
time his branch of the family was transplanted to 
that locality, the author had no information other 
than a ftimily tradition, that it was during some 
troubles in Scotland prior to the reign of Charles 
II. A few years previous to his death, some legal 
controversy arising in England on the subject of 
the copyright of his works, a London publisher 
was led to apply to Kirkwall for documentary 
proof of his father's place of birth. In making 
the necessary researches, the Clerk of the Re- 
cords was induced to trace his descent as far back 
as possib^3, and it is a curious fact that he was 
enabled to do it through four centuries, fj-om a 



4 LIFE AND LETTERS 

facility afforded by the ancient " Udai " laws of 
that region, which required that lanas, on the 
death of tiie owner, should be divided equally 
among the sons and daughters ; a peculiarity 
which led in the partition, to the mention of the 
names and relationships of all the parties who 
were to draw a share. The result of these re- 
searches showed that " William De Erwin," the 
first Orkney Irvine and earliest cadet of Drum, 
was an inhabitant of Kirkwall, the metropolis of 
the island group, in 1369, the same year in which 
Thomas, the eldest son and successor of the ar- 
mor-bearer, is mentioned among the barons of 
the Scottish Parliament ; that the Irvings held 
landed possessions in Pomona, the island in which 
Kirkwall is situated, up to 1597, when Magnus, 
eldest son of James the " Lawman " or chief 
judge of the Orkneys, sold his share of his 
father's property in the neighborhood of Kirkwall 
to a younger brother, and removed to the con- 
tiguous island of Shapinsha, where, in 1731, was 
born William, the father of t!ie author. 

On the death of his mother, who had always 
opposed his wishes on this point, William yielded 
to the long-cherished desire of his boyhood, and 
went to sea. During the war between France 
and Eufjland he ensfao-ed on board of an armed 
packet ship of his British Majesty plying be- 
tween Falmouth and New York, and was a petty 
officer in this service when he met with Sarah 
Sanders, the only child of John and Anna San- 
ders, and granddaughter of an English curate 
whose name was Kent. Their marriage took 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 6 

place on the 18tli May, 1761, and two years 
thereafter, on the return of peace, the youthful 
pair embarked for New York, w^here they landed 
on the 18th July, 1763, havmg buried their tirst 
child on the shores of England. 

Mr. Irving took up his residence in the city not 
iar from "The old Walton House," as it now 
proclaims itself with boastful longevity, then re- 
cently erected, which with the Middle Dutch 
Church, still resisting at that time the language 
of England in spite of a century of British domi- 
nation, now shorn of its honors and transformed 
into a post-office, are almost the only relics left 
of the contracted and half rural city of that day. 

On settlmg in New York, the lather of the 
author entered into mercantile business. He was 
getting on successfully, when the Revolution 
broke out ; and he found his quiet dwelling un- 
der the guns of one of the English ships in the 
harbor at the time when, in consequence of 
General Lee's measures, it was apprehended they 
would fire upon the town. A general panic pre- 
vailed ; many of the inhabitants Hed to the coun- 
try, and among the number Mr. Irving and his 
little flock, with whom he took refuue at Rahvvay 
in New Jersey. Here he was not much better 
off: business was at an end ; his children suffered 
from fever and ague, and finally, when the British 
made an incursion into the Jerseys, he returned 
to New York, after an absence of nearly two 
years, during whicii almost half of the city had 
been destroyed by fire. 

Thror.ghout the revolutionary contest, he and 



6 LIFE AND LETTERS 

his wife exerted tliemselves without cei sing in 
alleviating the sufFerings of American prisoners. 
The mother of the author, who pos^es^ed a char- 
acter of rare generosity and benevolence, was 
especially zealous in this charitable ministry. 
Prisoners were supplied with food from her own 
table ; and she often went in person to visit tiiem 
when ill, furnishing them with clothes, blankets, 
and other necessaries. Cunningham, so noted for 
his brutality, always softened at her appearance. 
" I'd rather you'd send them a rope, Mrs. Irving," 
he would say ; but her charity was invariably per- 
jaitted to retich its object. 

Mr. Irving was particularly concerned in ad- 
ministering to some patriot clergymen of his 
denomination, who were imprisoned. From one 
of these, as the time aj)proached for the British 
to evacuate New York and the American troops 
to take possession, he received the following 
quaint certificate, evidently given under an im- 
pression that his residence in the city during the 
war might subject his loyalty to doubt, and ex- 
pose him to the risk of harsh and proscriptive 
treatment. 

••' These may certify whom it may concern, 
whether civil or military officers, that Deacon 
William Irving, merchant in this city, appeared 
to be friendly inclined to the liberties of the 
United States, and greatly lamented the egregious 
barbarities practiced by her enemies on the un- 
happy sons of liberty, that unhappily fell in their 
power — contributed largely to my relief (who 
was a prisoner in this city as early in the war as 



OF WASHINGTLN IRVING. 7 

June, 1779), and was probably an instrument un 
ier God of the preservation of my life — and by 
credible accounts I have had from other prisoners, 
both in the city and country, has been the means 
of the preservation of theirs also." 

This document is signed " Bhickleach Burritt, 
Minister of the Gospel in the Presbyterian 
Church," and bears date November 15, 1783, ten 
days before Washington and his army entered 
the city. 

It was some months previous, as we have seen, 
that his infant namesake first saw the light. The 
two-story dwelling in which he was born. No. 131 
William Street, about half-way between Fulton 
and John, was long ago pulled down. Within a 
year after his birth, the family moved across the 
way to No. 128. A deed from the executors of 
Samuel Prince, bearing date m the August suc- 
ceeding his birth, conveys to "William Irving, 
Merchant," the house and lot, "25 feet front by 
156 feet deep," for the " consideration of two 
thousand pounds current money of the State of 
New York." This was then, or had lately been 
occupied by a British commissary, and after some 
alterations and additions it became the family 
residence, and was the homestead in which the 
author grew up, and around which were gathered 
the recollections of his infancy and boyhood. 

It was a triple structure, composed of a front and 
rear edifice of two stories, with a narrow central 
building, forming a passage between them, and 
connecting the two ; its roof descending to an 
attic window in each division. It was my for- 



8 LIFE AND LETTERS 

tune to accompany the author whe^ he visited 
the old homestead in 1849, on the eve of its 
demolition, and I remember with what a half 
giddy feeling, as we stood in the yard, he pointed 
out the rear building from whicli, a venturesome 
urchin, he would climb to this sloping roof, steal 
along its dizzy edge to the higher window of the 
front garret, mount thence to the roof of one of 
the adjoining buildings, drop a stone down the 
chimney, and then clamber back to his hiding- 
place, chuckling over the imagined wonder and 
perplexity he had created. 

This was but one instance of a mischievoua 
vivacity of spirits, which showed itself in a great 
variety of pranks ; though the system of domestic 
government under which he grew up was little 
calculated to foster a lively disposition. The 
father, a sedate, conscientious. God-fearing man, 
with much of the strictness of the old Scotch 
Covenanter in his composition, had small sym- 
pathy with the amusements of his children, and 
lost no opportunity of giving their tlioughts a 
serious turn. That he was somewhat overstrict 
in his discipline there can be little doubt - — at 
least his children, with a high respect for his 
character, always retained that impression of him. 
When I was young, I have heard Washington 
say, '' I was led to think that, somehow or otiier, 
everything that was pleasant was wicked." Not- 
withstanding tlie paternal strictness, however, they 
were a merry household, finding diversion in 
everything ; and though sometimes their frolics 
partook of mischief, and they were tempted U\ 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. S 

Steal away, as they grew older, to some fascina- 
ting, tlie more so because forbidden, place of 
amusement, the foundation laid resulted through- 
out in characters of rare uprightness, combined 
with a more than ordinary degree of the intellec- 
tual and imaginative. Among his contemporaries, 
the fixther was held in the highest regard. " You 
come of a gude stock," said a worthy Scot of his 
acquaintance to the writer of this memoir, waiv- 
ing a proffered security ; " I'll trust you." 

It is a little curious, considering the form of 
faith in which the author was reared, that he 
should have been conducted to the chapel of St. 
George in Beekman Street, to receive his baptis- 
mal name. This was soon after Washmgton and 
his army had entered the city But the rite was 
performed by a Presbyterian, though in an Epis- 
copal sanctuary, an anomaly growing out of the 
circumstance that the churches of that denomina- 
tion had been dismantled duiing tlie Revolution, 
and were now being refitted with pulpit and 
pews ; during which interval their Episcopal 
brethren gave the returning congregations the 
use of tiieir precincts for half the Sabbath. 

His name of Washington was the means of 
procuring him an early introduction to that illus- 
trious personage, when he came back to New 
York, then the seat of government, as President 
of the United States. A young Scotch maid 
servant of the family, struck with the enthusiasm 
which everywhere greeted his arrival, determined 
to present the child to his distinguished namesake. 
Accordingly, she followed him one morning into 



10 



LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 



a shop, and pointing to the lad who had scarcely 
outgrown his virgin trousers : " Please your 
honor," said she, " here's a bairn was named 
after you." In the estimation of Lizzie, for so 
she was called, few chiims of kindred could be 
stronger than this. Washington did not disdain 
the delicate affinity, and placing his hand on the 
head of hei little charge, gave him his blessing. 




CHAPTER II. 




Benjamin Romaine. — Passion for Reading. — Longing to 
see the World. — Commences the Study of the Law. — His 
First Voyage up the Hudson, as related by himself. 

N his fourth year, Washington was sent 
to a school in Ann street, between Wil- 
liam and Gold, kept by a Mrs. Ann 
Kilmaster. Here he continued upwards of two 
years, making very little progress beyond the 
alphabet. 

From Mrs. Kilmaster's he was transferred, 
towards the close of 1789, to a school for both 
sexes kept by Benjamin Romaine at 198 Fulton, 
then 37 Partition Street. Romaine had been a 
soldier in the Revolution, and was a thorough 
disciplinarian. He was a man of good sense and 
sound judgment, but of moderate scholarship. 
At this school the author remained until he was 
fourteen years of age. He soon became a favor- 
ite with the quondam soldier, who had a way of 
designating his preference by calling him " Gene- 
ral," though his partiality seems to have arisen at 
first, not so much from any indications of talent 
in his pupil as from the fact that, though con- 
stantly in mischief, he never sought to shelter 
<iimself by prevarication when called up to be 
f^uestioned, but always confessed the truth. 



12 LIFE AND LETTERS 

Anotlier trait which was mentioned by a fe- 
male schoolmate in after life, was his unwilling- 
ness to witness the chastisement of the other boys. 
The standing punishment inflicted on truants was 
horsing, or hoisting, so called, and as the culprits 
had to be untrussed, it was always administered 
after school when the girls had been dismissed. 
But little Irving, she said, could not endure the 
spectacle ; the sight of the unlucky urchin shrink- 
ing under the rod was too much for his nerves, 
and he finally insisted on leaving with the girls, 
and was permitted. 

Though he had little inclination for dry study, 
his taste for readin<>- was early developed. In 
his tenth year, he fell in with Hoole's translation 
of the " Orlando Furioso," then just published, and 
I have heard him recur with delight to the excit- 
ing interest of its pages, and dwell with evident 
complacency upon his achievements in parodying 
the feats of arms of which he had been reading ; 
sallying forth into the yard of his father's house, 
the grand theatre of his youthful exploits, with 
wooden sabre to encounter some little playmate, 
tired like himself with noble zeal to prove him- 
self a true knight, and rushing to the onset with 
his favorite motto : — 

" Where'er my footsteps go, my deeds proclaim, 
War is my sport, and Eodomont my name." 

At the age of eleven, books of voyages and 
travels became his passion. This feeling was first 
awakened by the perusal of " Robinson Crusoe " 
and " Sinbad the Sailor." Afterwards he met witb 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 13 

« The World Displayed," a collection of voyages 
and travels, selected from the writers of all na- 
tions, in twenty small duodecimo volumes, embel- 
lished with cuts, and this was 'an inexhaustible 
treasure. He was not permitted to read at home 
after retiring to his bed, but such was their fas- 
cination that he used to secrete candles to enable 
him to do so. These volumes he would also take 
to school, and snatch hasty moments of reading 
under the shelter of his desk. One day, Romaine 
saw him busily intent on one of them, and creep- 
ing up slyly behind him, thrust his hand down, 
and seizing the f )rbidden book, ordered him to 
remain after school to answer for the otfense. 
The result, however, was very different from what 
he had anticipated ; for his instructor, perceiving 
in what the reading consisted, gave him credit for 
the taste he showed in the selection, and only 
cautioned him that he could not permit him to 
cultivate the propensity to the neglect of the reg- 
ular exercises of the school. 

This continual reading of travels and voyages 
begot in time a great desire to go to sea. " How 
wistfully," says he, in the introduction to the 
*' Sketch Book," '' would I wander about the pier- 
heads in fine weather, and watch the parting 
ships bound to distant climes — with what long- 
ing eyes would I gaze after their lessening sails, 
and w^aft myself in imagination to the ends t)f 
the earth ! " 

A performance, which indicates an early liter- 
ary tendency, and which may be referred to the 
age of thirteen, was the writing of a play, which 



14 LIFE AND LETTERS 

was rejresorited at a friend's house in the preS' 
ence of Mrs. Melmoth, a well-known actress of 
that day. He had first attended the theatre with 
James K. Paulding, his early literary associate, 
who had left his home in Westchester County 
for the city, where he was then living with Wil- 
liam Irving, who had married his sister. Pauld- 
ing was four and a half years his senior. The per- 
formance was " Speculation," a comedy in which 
Jefferson was the chief attraction. He was de- 
lighted with the acting of this comedian, and from 
this time he conceived great fondness for tlie 
theatre. It was at this period that he was de- 
livered of his play, of which, however, not a 
fragment, not even the title lingered in his mem- 
ory. It is fair to presume it liad great dramatic 
demerit. 

The anecdote is of use only as serving to display 
an early scribbling propensity. He had been re- 
marked at school for the ease and fluency of his 
pen, and would frequently effect an exchange of 
tasks with the other boys, and write their compo- 
sitions, while they ^ in turn would work out his 
sums ; for arithmetic was the most tedious of all 
his studies. 

His education was completed before he had at- 
tained his sixteenth year ; at least from this pe- 
riod he assumed the direction of his own studies. 
His brothers, Peter and John, had been sent to 
Columbia College, and why he did not receive 
the same advantasre he could never satisfactorilv 
explain, except that he was more alive to the 
drudgery than the advantage of a .''ourse of aca- 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 15 

demic training. lie never failed, however, to re- 
gi'et the omission in after life. 

At the aofe of sixteen he entered the law-office 
of Henry Masterton, a respectable practitioner 
with whom his brother John was also serving an 
apprenticeship to a distasteful vocation ; for 
though this brother afterwards attained to the 
dignity of the bench, his early preference inclined 
him to the ministry. 

Whatever may have determined the choice of 
Washington to the thorny paths of tlie law, it is 
certain he could not have been prompted to it by 
his father, for the profession never enjoyed his 
good opinion. At an earlier period, when Peter 
had decided to embrace it, he interposed his au- 
thority to prevent him, and he thereupon turned 
his attention to medicine, a pursuit always uncon- 
genial to him, and speedily, abandoned ; though 
the title of " Doctor " remained with him for 
life. Washington spent an interval of two years 
in the office of Mr. Masterton, which was marked 
by considerable proficiency in belles-lettres, but 
very slender advancement in the dry teclinicalities 
of the practice. 

It was at this period of still happy boyhood, 
that he made his first voyage up the Hudson, the 
extraordinary beauty of which, says Bryant, he 
was the first to describe. His eldest sister, Ann, 
in 1788, at the early age of seventeen, had mar 
ried Richard Dodge, of Dutchess County, who, 
previous to their marriage, while employed as 
surveyor on the Mohawk, had been tempted to 
try lis fortunes in this, at that time, frontier 



16 LIFE AND LETTERS 

world. He liad persuaded William Irving, the 
elder brother, then just twenty-one, to accompany 
him. They established themselves on the river 
about forty miles west of Albany, that country 
being then filled with Indians, with whom the 
trade in furs was extremely profitable. William 
remained there four years, when he wearied of 
the frontier life, and in 1791 returned to the city 
to eno^ao'e in commercial business, and JMr. Dodo^e 
removed to Johnstown, a colonial town founded 
by Sir William Johnson, and having something of 
historic interest as the scene where, at his stately 
mansion, '' the Hall," this agent of the British 
Government ruled for years over the neighbor- 
ing tribes of Indians with sovereign sway. His 
second sister, Catharine, some years later had 
married Daniel Paris, a young lawyer of that 
region, with whom she had become acquainted at 
New York, while in college with her brother 
Peter, and who afterwards removed to the same 
place, which, from the character of its early set- 
tlement and its proximity to Schenectady and 
Albany, still boasted at that time quite a gay and 
cultivated society. To gratify his restless desire 
to see more of " the vast globe " he inhabited, 
his parents had consented to his making an ex- 
cursion to visit these two married sisters. He 
had before passed a holiday in Westchester 
County, during the fever of 1798, and explored 
the recesses of Sleepy Hollow with his gun, 
but his migrations had extended no further. 
The Highlands and all beyond were still, to his 
eager imagination, a realm of wonder and en- 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 17 

chantmeut. From the moment, therefore, the 
t^xpedition . was mentioned, he thought and 
dreamt of nothing else. 

I transcribe from his papers some reminis- 
cences of this early voyage, which was made 
ill 1800. Thej^ form part of an unfinished ar- 
ticle commenced in June, 1851, for '• The Plotne 
l)Ook of the Picturesque," and afterwards thrown 
aside to give place to " The Kaatskill Moun- 
tains," the title of the contribution from his pen 
which appears in its pages. The reader familiar 
with that sketch will detect liere and there a 
passage which has been retained from the re- 
jected fragment, but with this exception the 
extract is new, and affords a curious picture of 
some of the features of the river travel of by- 
gone days. 

My first voyage up the Hudson was made in early 
boyhood, in the good old times before steamboats 
and railroads had annihilated time and space, and 
driven all poetry and romance out of travel. A 
voyage to Albany then, was equal to a voyage to 
Em'ope at present, and took almost as much time. 
We enjoyed the beauties of the river in those days; 
the features of nature were not all jumbled together, 
nor the towns and villages huddled one into the 
other by railroad speed as they are now. 

I was to make the voyage under the protection oi 
a relative of mature age — one experienced in the 
river. His first care was to look out for a favorite 
sloop and ca[)tain, in wiiich there was great choice. 

The constant voyaging in the river craft by the 
best families of New York and Albany, made the 
merits of captains and sloops matters of notoriety 



IS LIFE AND LETTERS 

and discussion in both cities. The captains were 
mediums of communication between separated friends, 
and families. On the arrival of one of them at 
either place he had messages to deliver and commis- 
pions to execute which took him from house to 
house. Some of the ladies of the family had, per- 
ad venture, made a voyage on board of his sloop, and 
experienced from him that protecting care which is 
aiv/ays remembered with gratitude by female passen- 
gers In this way the captains of Albany sloops 
were personages of more note in the community 
than captains of European packets or steamships at 
the present day. A sloop was at length chosen ; but 
niie had yet to complete her freight and secure a 
sufficient number of passengers. Days were con- 
sumed in " drumming up " a cargo. This was a tor- 
iiienting delay to me who was about to make my first 
voyage, and who, boy-like, had packed up my ti'unk 
on the first mention of the expedition. How often 
that trunk had to be unpacked and repacked before 
we sailed ! 

At length the sloop actually got under 
way. As she worked slowly out of the dock into 
tiie stream, there was a great exchange of last words 
between friends on board and friends on shore, and 
much waving of handkerchiefs when the sloop was 
out of hearing. 

Our captain was a worthy man, native of Albany, 
of one of the old Dutch stocks. His crew was com- 
posed of blacks, reared in the family and belong- 
ing to him, for negro slavery still existed in the 
State. All his communications with them were in 
Dutch. They were obedient to his orders ; though 
they occasionally had much previous discussion of 
the wisdom of them, and were sometimes positive in 
mainlaining an opposite opi;iii->n. This was espe- 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 19 

cially the case with an old gray-headod nogro, who 
had sailed with the captain's fotlier when the captain 
was a mere boy, and who was very crabbed and con- 
ceited on points of seamanship. I observed that the 
captain generally let him have his own Avay. 

What a time of intense delight was 
that first sail through the Highlands ! I sat on the 
deck as we slowly tided along at the foot of those 
stern mountains, and gazed with wonder and admi- 
ration at cliffs impending far above me, crowned 
with forests, with eagles sailing and screaming 
around them;/or listened to the unseen stream dash- 
uig down precipices ; or beheld rock, and tree, and 
cloud, and sky reflected in the glassy stream of the 
river And then how solemn and thrilling the scene 
as we anchored at nio-ht at the foot of these moun- 
'ains, clothed with overhanging forests; and every- 
thing grew dark and mysterious ; and I heard the 
plaintive i.ote of the whip-poor-will from the moun- 
tain-side, or Avas startled now and then by the sudden 
leap and heHvy splash of the sturgeon. 

But of all the scenery of the Hudson, 
the Kaatskill Mountains had the most witching efl'ect 
on my boyish iuiagination. Never shall I forget the 
effect upon me of the first view of them predom- 
inating over a wide extent of country, part Avild, 
woody, and rugged ; part softened away into all the 
graces of cultivation. As we slowly floated along, 1 
lay on the deck and watched them through a long 
summer's day, undergoing a thousand mutations 
under the magical effects of atmosphere ; sometimes 
seeming to approach, at other times to recede ; now 
almost melting into hazy distance, now burnished by 
the setting sun, until, in the evening, they printed 
tliemselves ajrainst the glowing sky in the deep })ur- 
ph' i)( a/ 1 Italian landsc.tpe. 



20 LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 

In the foregoing pages I have given the reader 
my first voyaging amid Hudson scenery. It has 
been my lot, in the course of a somewhat wandering 
life, to behold some of the rivers of the old world, 
most renowned in history and song, yet none have 
been able to efface or dim the pictures of my native 
stream thus ^arly stamped upon my memory. My 
heart would ever revert to them with a filial feeling, 
and a recurrence of the joyous associations of boy- 
hood ; and such recollections are, in fact, the true , 
fountains of youth which keep the heart from grow- 
ing old. 

To me the Hudson is full of storied associations, 
connected as it is with some of the happiest portions 
of my life. Each striking feature brings to mind 
some early adventure or enjoyment ; some favorite 
companion who shared it with me ; some fair object, 
perchance, of youthful admiration, who, like a star, 
mAy have beamed her allotted time and passed aw \y 




CHAPTER III. 

Enters the Office of Josiah Ogden HofFman. — The Hoffman 
Family. — First Letters. — First Essays in Print. — Expe- 
dition to Og-densburg. — Extracts from Journal. — Plunge 
in the Black River. — Capture of a Deer. — Hardships of 
the Wilderness. — A Jealous Savage. — Indian Ceremonial. 
— An Exchange of Names. — Ogdensburg Revisited. 




^N the summer of 1801, Mr. Irving left 
Masterton, and entered the office of 



Brockholst Livingston ; and when that 
emment lawyer was called to the Bench of the 
Supreme Court of the State, in January, 1802, 
he continued his clerkship with Josiah Ogdeu 
HofFman, a distinguished advocate of the city, 
who took a fancy to him, though, as he says 
himself, a very heedless student. The house of 
Hoffinan soon became another home to him. 

The family of Mr. HofFman consisted of a 
second wife, whom he had lately married, a Miss 
Fenno of Philadelphia, much younger than 
himself, a daughter of the Federal editor of that 
name, and five children by a former marriage — 
four daughters, the two eldesl, Ann and INIatilda, 
of the ages of fourteen and twelve, and a son, 
quite a child, Ogden HofFman, afterwards dis- 
cinsuished at the bar and on the floor of Con- 
gress for his silver-tongued oratory. With Mrs. 



22 LIFE AND LETTERS 

PIofFman, a most amiable and interesting woman, 
the young student formed an intimacy which 
continued till her death, and to her many of his 
letters are addressed. " She was like a sister to 
me," is the language in which he once wrote of 
her. 

Soon after his admission to this little circle, 
he made a second visit to Johnstown. The fol- 
lowuig letter, dated from that old coloniai town, 
is the earliest which has come into my possession, 
and is of interest cliiefly as showing his delicate 
state of health at this period, and the indications 
of that consumptive tendency which subsequently 
led to his first visit to Europe. 

Johnstown, July 2, 1S02. 

My dear Parents : — 

We bad a very quick passage to Albany, where 
we arrived at three o'clock on Thursday morning. 
I was ynwell almost the whole time, and could not 
sleep either night. We left Albany about an hour 
after we arrived there, in a wagon, and reached 
Johnstown between ten and eleven in the eveninor. 
The roads wore fine, being turnpike almost the whole 
way ; but I was so weak that it was several days be- 
fore I got over the fatigue. I have had a little bet- 
ter appetite since I have been up here, though I have 
been troubled with the pain in my breast almost con- 
stantly, and still have a cough at right. I am un- 
able to take any exercise w^orth mentioning, and 
doze away my time pretty much as I did in New 
York ; however, I hope soon to get in a better trim. 

The letter next in date is written nearly a 
month later, and is addressed to a young friend 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 23 

^f lifs own age, at whose father's place at New 
Rochelle, about eighteen miles from New York, 
he was oiten a guest, and whose sister became 
afterwards the wife of his brother, John T, 
Irving. 

Johnstown, July 26th, 1802. 

To Mr. John Furman, at Alderman Beekman\% 
Vesey Street, New York : — 
Dear John :....! have been unwell 
almost all the time I have been up here. I am too 
weak to tske any exercise, and too low-spirited half 
the time to enjoy company. My chief amusements 
are reading, drawing, and writing letters — the two 
latter I have to do more sparingly than T could wish, 
on account of the pain in my breast. I have nothing 
particular to communicate at present that would be 
in the least interesting. I shall go shortly to the 
springs, and will write to you from there, if any pri- 
vate opportunity pi'csents. Do write to me imme- 
diately, about everything and everybody — every 
trifle of news from New York is interesting ; tell 
me how all the girls do, both in the city and country. 
Make my warmest remembrances to all your family, 
and believe me, my dear fellow. 

Your friend, 

Washington Irving. 

From Johnstown he accompanied his brother- 
in-law, Daniel Paris, to Ballston Springs. His 
cough would seem to have been very aggravated. 
" Was that young Irving," asked Judge Kent of 
Mr. Paris, " who slept in the next room to me, 
and kept up such an incessant cough during the 
niirht?" " It \v:i?," wa55 the reiVv. '' He is not 



24 LIFE AND LETTERS 

long for this world," rejoined the foreboding 
querist. The Judge, afterwards the distin- 
guished Chancellor, lived to preside at a public 
dinner given thirty years later to the consump- 
tive invalid. 

Though his health was still drooping, we find 
him a ie,^ months after his return commencing 
a series of humorous contributions to the " Morn- 
ing Chronicle," under the signature of Jonathan 
Oldstyle. This was a daily paper, of which his 
brother Peter was proprietor and editor, and 
which, was established in October, 1802. The 
first of these articles appeared in the middle of 
November, when the writer was nineteen years 
of age. In these juvenile essays we may see 
traces of the same play of humor which marked 
his pen in after years ; and though of local and 
temporary interest, it is singular to what degree, 
in that barren period of our literature, they at- 
tracted attention, being generally copied, as I 
have been informed, into the newspapers of the 
day. They also procured him a visit from 
Charles Brockden Brown, who had given to the 
world a series of remarkable novels, and wa^ the 
first in our country to make a profession of liter- 
ature. Brown sought, but without success, to 
enlist his pen in the service of the " Literary 
Magazine and American Register," a periodical 
he had. just undertaken in Philadelphia. In 1823, 
when Mr. Irving was abroad, and had become 
something of a literary lion m Europe, the Old- 
style Papers were given anew to the world without 
his knowledge or consent, and a good deal to his 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING, 25 

regret, though he subsequently thought of includ- 
iDff four of them in his collected wiitinijs. 

In the summer of 1803, Irving was invited by 
Mr. Hoffman to accompany him on an expedi- 
tion to Ogdensburg, Montreal, and Quebec, and 
gladly availed himself of the opportunity to ex- 
tend the range of his travels. In this progress- 
ive age, when we can be whirled the entire dis- 
tance in less than twenty-four hours, a journey 
from New York to Ogdensburg would promise lit- 
tle of incident or adventure ; but it was a formid- 
able undertaking at that early day, and involved 
difficulties, discomforts, and trials of patience, of 
which the modern tourist can have no idea. In- 
deed, could the travellers themselves have fore- 
seen the fatigues and hardships they would have 
to encounter, it is c(irtain their enterprise would 
not have been equal to the trial. Without, how- 
ever, any just knowledge or appreciation of its 
labors or privations, the party of seven, Mr. and 
Mrs. Hoffman, Mr. and Mrs. Ludlow Ogden, Miss 
Eliza Ogden, Miss Ann Hoffman, and himself, 
found themselves, on the 31st of July, 1803, on 
board of a sloop bound for Albany. From that 
place they proceeded to Ballston and Saratoga 
Springs, and thence, Irving making a flying visit 
to Johnstown by the "way, to the modern city of 
Utica, then a village unconscious of the sound of 
"church-going bell." From this point they were 
to diverge to Ogdensburg, or 3swegatchie, as it 
was then called, on the . St Lawrence, where 
Hofl'man and Ogden owned some wild lands, and 
purposed to lay out a town. 



23 LIFE AN I LETTERS 

Irving kept a journal of the expedition from 
New York to Ogdensburg, which was struck ofl 
in the midst of hurry and fatigue, and of course 
is very carelessly written ; but it has an interest 
independent of any literary value, as a picture 
of travel in those early days of our country. 

On Monday, August 9th, ilwy set off from 
Utica for the High Falls, on Black River, iL 
two wagons, having dispatched another witli the 
principal part of their baggage. The roads were 
bad, and lay either through thick woods, or by 
fields disfigured with burnt stumps and fallen 
bodies of trees. The next day they grew worse, 
and the travellers were frequently obliged to get 
out of the wasfon and walk. At Hioh Falls 
they embarked in a scow on Black River, so 
called from the dark color of its waters ; but soon 
the rain began to descend in torrents, and they 
sailed the whole afternoon and evening under 
repeated showers, from which they were but par- 
tially screened by sheets stretched on hoop poles. 
About twenty -five miles below the Falls they went 
ashore, and found lodgings for the uight at a log- 
house, on beds spread on the floor. The next 
morning it cleared off beautifully, and they set 
out again in their boat. On turning a point in 
the river, they were surprised by loud shouts 
which proceeded from two or three canoes iu full 
pursuit of a deer which was swimming in the 
water. A gun was soon after fired, and thej' 
rowed with all their might to get in at the death. 
•' The deer made for our shore," says the jour- 
nal. " We pushed ashore immediately, and as it 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 27 

passed, Mr. Ogdeii fired and wounded it. It had 
been wounded before. I threw off my coat, and 
prepared to swim after it. As it came near, a 
man rushed through the bushes, sprang into the 
water, and made a grasp at the animaL He 
missed liis aim, and I jumped after, fell on his back, 
and sunk him under water. At the same time 
I caught the deer by one ear, and Mr. Ogden 
seized it by a leg. The submerged gentleman, 
who had risen above water, got hold of another. 
We drew it ashore, when the man immediately 
dispatched it with a knife. We claimed a haunch 
for our share, permitting him to keep all the rest. 

In the evening we arrived at B 's 

at the head of the Long Fidls. A dirtier house 
was never seen. We dubbed it ' The Temple of 
Dirt;' but we contrived to have our venison 
cooked in a cleanly manner by Mr. Ogden's ser- 
vant, and it made very fine steaks, which after 
two days' living on crackers and gingerbread 
were highly acceptable. 

Friday, ISth. — "We prepared to leave the 
Temple of Dirt, and set out about sixty miles 
through the woods to Oswegatchie. We ate an 
uncomfortable breakfast, for indeed it was im- 
possible to relish anything in a house so com- 
pletely filthy. The landlady herself was per- 
fectly in character with the house ; a little squat 
French woman, with a red face, a black wool 
hat stuck upon her head, her hair greasy and 
uncombed, hanging about her ears, and the rest 
of her dress ai-.d person in similar style. We 
were heartily glad to make an escape." 



28 LIFE AND LETTERS. 

The journal omits to mention, that just before 
they started, the young traveller took out his 
pencil, and scribbled over the fire-place the fol- 
lowing memorial ; — 

*' Here Sovereign Dirt erects her sable throne, 
The house, the host, the hostess, all her own." 

In a subsequent year, when Mr. Hoffman was 
j>assing the same way with Judge Cooper, the 
father of the distinguished novelist, James Feni- 
more Cooper, he pointed ont this memento of 
his student, still undetected and uneffiiced ; where- 
upon the Judge, whose longer experience in 
frontier travel ^had probably rained him above 
the qualms of over-nicety, immediately wrote 
under it this doggerel inculcation : — 

" Learn hence, young man, and teach it to your sons, 
The wisest way 's to take it as it comes." 

They set off again " in caravan style," two 
wagons for themselves, and another, drawn by 
oxen, for the luggage. They found the road 
dreadfully rugged and miry. The horses could 
not go off a walk in any part. The road had 
not been made above a year, and the stumps and 
roots of trees stood in every direction. At night 
they put up at a small hut consisting of but one 
room, which, however, the hostess, by the saga- 
cious ex2:)edient of stretching a long blanket 
across, managed to divide into two. " On one 
side," says the journal, " we spread our mattress 
for the ladies, and great coats, blankets, etc., for 
ourselves. The other side was left for the dri- 
vers, etc." 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 29 

The next day the wagon in which Irving and 
gome of the ladies were riding stuck fast, and 
one of the horses laid down, and refused to 
move. They had therefore to get out and travel 
after the other wagon, into which the ladies 
mounted; but soon that also mired, and there 
was no alternative but for them to take to their 
feet. "The rain by this time/' proceeds the 
journal, " descended in torrents. In several parts 
of the road I had been up to my middle in 
mud and water, and it was equally bad, if not 
worse, to attempt to walk in the woods on either 
side. 

''• We helped the ladies to a little shed of bark laid 
on crotches, about large enough to hold three, 
where they sat down. It had been a night's 
shelter to some hunter, but in this case it af- 
forded no protection. One-half of it fell down 
as we were creeping under it, and though we 
spread great-coats over the other, they might 
as well have been in the open air. The rain 
now fell in the greatest quantity I had ever 
seen. 

" The wind blew a perfect hurricane. The trees 
around shook and bent in the most alarming 
manner, and threatened every moment to fiill 
and crush us. . . . The ladies were in the high- 
est state of alarm, and entreated that we should 
walk to a house which we were told was about 
half a mile distant." 

They therefore dragged along, and after a most 
painful walk arrived at the hut, which consisted 
of one room about eighteen by sixteen feet. In 
this small apartment, fifteen people were to pass 
the night; for besides the owner, they found here 



30 LIFE AXb LETT F. US 

two me.i who were driving an ox-team tlircugb 
to Oswegatchie, both uoi-y and boistt^rous, and 
one of them stigmatized in the journal as " the 
most imoiident, chatterin^f, forward scoundrel " 

J. O 

the writer had ever known. There was much 
noisy greeting between these and the drivers, and, 
to adil to the confusion of the scene, they soon 
seated themselves in a corner and " began to 
play cards for liquor ; " an amusement from which 
they retired after a while almost intoxicated, and 
stretched themselves on the floor to sleep. " I 
never," says the journal, " passed so dreary a 
night in my life. The rain poured down inces- 
santly, and I was frequently obliged to hold up 
an umbrella to prevent its beating through the 
roof on the ladies as they slept. I was awake 
almost all night, and several times heard the 
crash of the falling trees, and two or three times 
the long dreary howl of a Wfdf." 

On resuming their route the next day, they 
found it impossible to travel the road with horses, 
and they were therefore compelled to engage 
the men to take their ba2fo;a2:e throuojh in their 
ox-cart, while the ladies rode in the ox- wagon 
whicli had hitherto held their luggage, and the 
gentlemen proceeded on foot. 

TvN'o days more of the same forlorn travel, 
through deep mudholes, over stumps and stones, 
obliged at times to cut their way through fallen 
trees, and resting at ni*j;ht in the same wretched 
hovels, brought them at last in sight of Oswegat- 
chie. The journal says : " The prospect that 
o[)ened upon us was delightful. After riding 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 81 

through thick woods for several days, .... the 
sight of a beautiful and extensive tract of coun- 
try is inconcei\ably enlivening. Close beside 
the bank on which we rode, the Oswegatchie 
wound along, about twenty feet below us. After 
running for some distance, it entered into the St. 
Lawrence, forming a long point of land on which 
stood a few houses called the ' Garrison,' which 
had formerly been a fortified place built by the 
French to keep the Indians in awe. They were 
now tumbling in ruins, excepting two or three, 
which were still kept in tolerable order by Judire 
Ford, who resided in one of them, and used the 
others as stores and out-houses. We recrossed 
the Oswegatchie River to the Garrison, as we 
intended to reside with Jud^e Ford for some 
time." 

The interval spent by the young traveller on 
tlie St. Lawrence was divided between Oswegat- 
chie, Lisbon, one of Mr. Hoffman's townships, 
ten or twelve miles farther down the river, and 
Madrid, at a still greater distance, where lay the 
lands of Mr. Ogden. His sports would seem to 
have been fishing and shooting, while in the last 
entry but one of his journal, which breaks off at 
this point, we have this hint of recreation of an- 
other kind : — 

August 2dth. — " Hired a horse to take me to 
Lisbon, where Mr. Hoffman was. Arrived about 
one o'clock, and found him surrounded by tenants, 
and hard at work. Amused myself the rest of 
the day wri( ng bonds and deeds " 

It was at liisbon that he encountered his first 



32 LIFE AND LETTERS 

rude experience of savage life. I .i^ive the anec- 
dote as i have heard it from himself. He was 
staying at the house of jMr. Turner, Mr. Hoff- 
man's agent, with whose son he had rowed to a 
small island to hire a bateau to take the travel- 
lers down the river. At the wigwam where they 
expected to engage the boat, they found a num- 
ber of persons of both sexes, but the Indian of 
whom they were in quest was absent selling furs. 
He soon came home, however, rather tipsy, ac- 
companied by his wife, a pretty-looking squaw, 
whose potations also had been somewhat liberal. 
The latter seated herself beside Irving, an(], 
either attracted by his personal appearance, or 
hoping to cajole from him a fresh draught of the 
fiery beverage, began to show him much flattering 
attention. The hnsband, a tall, strapping Her- 
cules, sat scowling at them with his blanket 
drawn up to his chin, and his face between his 
hands, while his elbows rested' on his knees. In 
this posture he watched the pair for some time, 
until at lenofth the continued assiduities of his 
-vife becoming too much for his patience, he sud- 
denly ruslied upon Irving, calling him a "damned 
Yankee," and with a blow leveled him to the 
floor. Taken by surprise, and utterly uncon- 
scious of offense, the young traveller jumped up, 
and asked the meaning of this strange salutation. 
^' He is jealous," hinted one of the company. 
Perceivinsf that he was feelino tor his knife, Ir- 
ving, retreating, requested the men to hold the 
savage, evidently maddened by drink, and young 
Turner immediately went up to him, when a sud- 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 33 

den revulsion of feeling ensued. He and the 
Indian had exchanged names, and were therefore 
sworn friends. The savasfe husrofed him in hif* 
arms, called him " good fellow " and other en- 
dearing names ; " but he," said he, glaring again 
with eyes of ominous ferocity at his companion, 
" he — damned Yankee." Apprehending further 
•violence, Turner intimated to Irving that he had 
better escape to the boat, and he would follow — 
which he was glad enough to do. 

This adventure was a capital joke for Hoff- 
man, who was never weary of quizzing his stu- 
dent on the subject of his delicate attentions to 
the squaw. 

Proceeding in their bateau to Montreal, the 
party stopped at Caughnauaga, where they were 
received in great state by the Indians. Here 
Hoffman, in a spirit of frolic, persuaded them to 
go through the ceremonial of exchanging names 
with Irving, or of giving him a name — to the 
great annoyance of tlie former, and the infinite 
diversion of the ladies, who stood at the door 
enjoyino; the scene with undisguised unction. 
The ceremony was novel, and to the object of it 
extremely embarrassiiig, as one of the chiefs or 
i:)rincipal Indians took him by the hand, led him 
out into the middle of the room, then commenced 
a sort of Indian waltz, turning slowly round \Ailh 
liim to a low chant, wiiile the others would look 
gravely on, and every now and then strike in 
with a monosyllabic chorus, " Ugh ! ugh ! " Tlie 
solemn gravity of the Indians and the merriment 
of the looker;;-on formed quite a ludicrous con- 

VOL. I. 3 



84 LIFE AND LETTERS 

trast. The chant concluded, the chief made him 
a formal and deferential speech, und gave him 
his name, which was Vomonte, meaning, as in* 
terpreted to him. Good to everybody. 

It was now Irving's turn to have his fun, and 
as soon as the Indian had concluded, he told him 
he had made a great mistake in conferring this 
distinction on him ; that he was but an insignifi- 
cant individual to be v^o highly honored ; but that 
the other, pointing to Hoffman, had been Attor- 
ney-general of the State of New York, and was 
much more worthy of this great distinction than 
himself ; that he would feel it an abatement of 
his dignity if they honored an obscure stripling 
in this way, and passed by so illustrious a per- 
sonage. 

Nothing would do, therefore, but they must 
march Hoffman out, and go through the same 
parade with him, to the great amusement of the 
ladies, and the irrepressible glee of Irving, who 
had felt too keenly the rueful dignity of the situ- 
ation in his own case, not to enjoy it with the 
highest relish when the tables were turned. 
Hoffman's name was Citrovani, or Shining Man. 

At Montreal, which was the great emporium 
of the fur trade, the party was feted in genial 
style by some of the partners of the Northwest 
Fur Company, " At their hospitable board," says 
Mr. Irving, in his introduction to Astoria, includ- 
ing in his allusion two later visits, " I occasionally 
met partners and clerks and hardy fur traders 
from the interior posts ; men who had passed 
years remote from civilized society, among dis- 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 35 

tant and savage tribes, and who had wonders to 
recount of their wide and wild peregrinations, 
their hunting exploits, and their perilous adven 
tures and hair-breadth escapes among the Indians. 
I was at an age when the imagination lends its 
coloring to everything, and the stories of these 
Sinbads of the wilderness made the life of a trap- 
per and fur trader perfect romance to me." 

Here he made the acquaintance of his life-long 
friend, Henry Brevoort, a native and resident ot 
New York, but then on a visit of business or 
pleasure to Montreal. 

It was not until a lapse of fifty years that Mr. 
Irving made a second visit to Oswegatchie, now 
Ogdensburg ; and I cannot resist the temptation to 
take from its place the letter which gives the 
touching contrast. On a return from a tour by 
the Lakes to Ma^-ara he writes to a niece at 
Paris (]Mrs. Storrow) : — 

September 19, 1853- 

One of the most interesting circumstances of my 
tour was the sojourn of a day at Ogdensburg, at the 
mouth of the Oswegatchie River, where it empties 
into the St. Lawrence, I had not been there since 
I visited it fifty years since, in 1803, when I was but 
twenty years of age ; when I made an expedition 
through the Black River country to Canada in 
company with Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman, and Ann 
Hofi'man, Mr. and Mrs. Ludlow Ogden, and Miss 
Eliza Ogden. Mr. Hoffinan and Mr. Ogden were 
visiting their wild lands on the St. Lawrence. All 
the country then was a wilderness ; we floated down 
*:he Black River in a scow ; we toiled through forests 
in wagons drawn by oxen ; we slept in hunters' 



36 LIFE AND LETTERS 

cabins, and were once four-and-twenty hours with- 
out food ; but all was romance to me. 

Arrived on the banks of the St. Lawrence, we 
put up at Mr. Ogden's agent, who was quartered in 
some rude buildino-s belonoflno; to a ruined French 
fort at the mouth of the Oswegatchie. What happy 
'lays I passed there ! rambling about the woods with 
•she young ladies ; or paddling with them in Indian 
canoes on the limpid waters of the St. Lawrence ; 
or fishing about the rapids and visiting the Indians, 
who still lived on islands in the river. Everything 
was so grand and so silent and solitary. I don't 
think any scene in life made a more delightful im- 
pression upon me. 

Well — here I was again after a lapse of fifty 
years. I found a populous city occupying both banks 
of the Oswegatchie, connected by bridges. It was 
the Ogdensburg, of which a village plot had been 
planned at the time of our visit. I sought the old 
French fort, where we had been quartered — not a 
trace of it was left. I sat under a tree on the site 
and looked round upon what I had known as a 
wilderness — now teeming with life — crowded with 
habitations — the Oswegatchie River dammed up 
and encumbered by vast stone-mills — the broad 
St. Lawrence ploughed by immense steamers. 

I walked to the point, where, with the two girls, 
I used to launch forth in the canoe, while the rest 
of the party would wave handkerchiefs, and cheer 
us from shore ; it was now a bustling landing-place 
for steamers. There were still some rocks where I 
used to sit of an evening and accompany with my 
flute one of the ladies who sang. I sat for a long 
time on the rocks, summoning recollections of bygone 
days, and of the happy beings by whom I was then 
surrounded ; all had passed way — all were dead and 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. §7 

gone ; of that young and joyous party I was the sole 
survivor ; they had all lived quietly at home out of 
the reach of mischance, yet had gone down to their 
graves ; while I, who had been wandering about the 
world, exposed to all hazards by sea and land, was 
yet alive. It seemed almost marvelous. I have 
often, in my shifting about the world, come upon the 
traces of former existence ; but I do not think any- 
thing has made a stronger impression on me than 
this second visit to the banks of the Oswegatchie* 




CHAPTER IV. 

Departure for Europe. — Emotions on Leaving. — Letter from 
Quarantine. — Arrival at Bordeaux. — Commencement of 
JoumaL — From Bordeaux to Nice. — Scenes and Inci- 
dents by the Way. — Whimsicalities of the Little Doctor. 
— A Sham Prisoner. — French Passport. — Spice of Trav- 
elling Philosophy. — Police. — A Spy. — A Suspected 
Traveller. — D*'tention. 




IR. IRVING came of age on the third 

of April, 1804. 

The delicate state of his health at 
this time began to awaken the solicitude of his 
family, and the father, now paralytic, having re- 
tired from business with a moderate independence, 
his brothers, animated by a common spirit, deter- 
mined to send him on a voyage to Europe. 

" It is with delight," writes his brother William 
to him soon after his departure, '' we share the 
world with you ; and one of our greatest sources 
of happiness is that fortune is daily putting it in 
our power thus to add to the comfort and enjoy- 
ment f»f one so very near to us all." 

William was the tliird child of his parents, and 
che oldest who lived to grow up. He was nearly 
seventeen years the senior of Washington, and 
there was something of the father mingled with 
the strong: fraternal affection with which he re- 



LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 3G 

garded him. Of this brother, Washington re- 
marks in one of his letters, " He was the man I 
most loved on earth," and his conversation would 
often turn on his rich mellow humor, his ranofe of 
anecdote, his quick sensibility, and fine colloquial 
flow. 

On the 19 th of May, he was helped up the 
side of the vessel, in which he had en^aijed his 
passage for Bordeaux. The captain (Shaler) 
eyed him with a foreboding glance as he stepped 
upon the deck, and as he afterwards told him, 
said to himself, '• There's a chap who will go 
overboard before we get across." Mr. Irving 
himself seems also at times to have had his fears 
that he was sinking by slow degrees to the grave. 
His emotions on leaving are described in a letter 
from Bordeaux to Alexander Beebee, one of his 
young friends. 

I felt heavy-hearted on leaving the city, as you 
may suppose ; but the severest moments of my de- 
parture were when I lost sight of the boat in which 
were my brothers who had accompanied me on board, 
and when the steeples of the city faded from my 
view. It seemed as if I had left the world behind 
me, and was cast among strangers without a friend, 
sick and solitary. I looked around me, saw none 
but strano;e faces, heard nothino; but a lansuaire I 
could not understand, and felt " alone amidst a 
crowd." I passed a melancholy, lonesome day, 
tnrned into my berth at night sick at heart, and laid 
for hours thinking of the friends I had left behind. 
Had this unhappy mood held possession 
of me long, I do not know if I should not have been 
a meal for the shark:-, before I hud made half the 



40 LIFE AND LETTERS 

passage, but thanks to " the Fountain of health and 
good spirits," He has given me enough of the latter 
to brighten up my dullest moments. My home-sick- 
ness wore off by degrees ; I again looked forward 
with enthusiasm to the classic scenes I was to enjoy, 
the land of romance and inspiration I was to tread, 
and though New York and its inhabitants often oc- 
cupied my thoughts, and constantly my dreams, yet 
there was no longer anything painful in the ideas 
they awakened. 

On the 2oth of June his vessel was quaran- 
tined at the mouth of the Gironde. From ship- 
board he writes to his brother William the next 
day : — 

My health is much better than when I left New 
Yoi'k. I was but slightly sea-sick for about a day 
and a half on first coming out. The rest of the 
voyage I was tolerably well, except fevers that often 
troubled me at night. We were seventeen in the 
cabin besides the master and mates, and as I cannot 
speak very highly of the cleanliness of some of my 
fellow-passengers, you may suppose our nights were 
not over comfortable. I have often passed the great- 
est part of the night walking the deck. 

Our passage was what the sailors term '' a lady's 
voyage," gentle and mild. We were tantalized, how- 
ever with baffling winds, particularly after entering 
the Bay of Biscay, where the wind came directly 
ahead. The first land we made, therefore, was Cape 
Penas, on the coast of Spain (on the 20th of the 
month). I cannot express the sensations I felt on 
first catching a glimpse of European land. 

In a postscript he adds : — 

The only news I have yet heard is, that Bona* 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 41 

parte is declared emperor of the Gauls — Moreau ia 
banished two years to his estate in the country — 
Georges is shot — Pichegru has hung hhnself in 
prison, and preparations are still niakhig for the in- 
vasion. 

In a letter a few days later to the same brother, 
he writes from Bordeaux : — 

On yesterday morning [Saturday, the 30th Jane] 
we arrived and disembarked at this port, after hav- 
ing been exactly six weeks on shipboard. I had be- 
gun to be considerably of a sailor before I left the 
ship. My round jacket and loose trousers were ex- 
tremely convenient. I was quite expert at climbing 
to the mast-head and going out on the main topsail 
yard. 

Everything is novel and interesting to 
me — the heavy Gothic-looking buildings — the an- 
cient churches — the manners of the people, — it 
really looks like another world. 

In this city, where the young traveller re- 
mained six weeks to improve himself in the lan- 
guage, he commenced a copious journal, which he 
continued with some intermissions until his ar- 
rival in Paris in the following year. His j)lan 
in regard to it was to minute down notes in pen- 
cil in a small book, and extend them whenever 
he could seize a moment of leisure. This 
journal, his notes in pencil when the journal was 
suspended, and his letters to the family which are 
preserved, will enable us to accompany him in 
his journeyings. I shall have but partial re- 
course to the journal, however, and confine my- 



42 LIFE AND LETTERS 

self mainly to such selections from his letters as 
may serve to illustrate his life and personal ad- 
ventures, and give his character a chance to un- 
fold itself; omitting altogether, or retrenching 
largely from the descriptions of scenery and 
places with which they abound, and other par- 
ticulars which would be minute or tedious, and 
adding here and there such anecdotes worthy of 
note as do not appear in either, but have been 
gathered from his own lips. 

On the 5th of August, Irving set out in the 
dihgence from Bordeaux. The company pre- 
sented a curious "jumble of character" — a lit- 
tle opera singer, with her father and mother, who 
were returning to Toulouse after a short visit to 
Bordeaux ; a young officer, not much older than 
himself, going to see his mother in Languedoc ; 
and a French gentleman, who had some knowl- 
edge of English, and had just returned from a 
voyage round the world. But the most amusing 
personage was a little American doctor, full of 
whim and eccentricity, who had taken passage in 
the cabriolet, a seat in front of the diligence, and 
who is thus introduced in the journal, which re- 
cords the fact, that after breakfast on the morning 
of the 6th, the writer exchanged places with a 
Frenchman who was seated in the cabriolet, to 
obtain a better view of the luxuriant and en- 
chanting country through which he was passing 

In this place [says the journal], I found a singu- 
lar little genius, quite an original — his name was 
Henry, a doctor of medicine, originally of Lancaster, 
m Pennsylvania ; by his talk he appears to have 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 43 

been for a loi.g time a citizen of the world. He is 
about five feet four inclies high, and thick-set ; talkg 
French fluently, and has an eternal tongue. He 
knew everybody of consequence — ambassadors, con- 
suls, etc., were Tom-Dick-and-Harry, intimate ac- 
quaintances. The Abbe AVinkleman had given him 
a breast-pin ; Lavater had made him a present of a 
snuff-box, and several authors had sent him their 
works to read and criticise. 

Whenever the diligence stopped in any of the 
towns to change horses, etc. [he writes in a letter to 
his brother William], Ave generally strolled through 
the streets talking to every one we met. We found 
the women very frequently seated at the doors at 
work, and they were always ready to enter into con- 
versation. The lower class throughout this part of 
France speak a villainous jargon, termed patois, 
composed of a jumble of Itahan, French, and Span- 
ish, so that I found it difficult to understand them, 
though I can make them understand me very read- 
ily. In one of our strolls in the town of Tonneins, 
we entered a house where a number of girls were 
quilting. They gave me a needle, and set me to 
work. My bad French seemed to give them much 
amusement, as I talked continually. They asked me 
several questions ; as I could not understand them, 
I made them any answer that came into my head, 
which caused a great deal of laughter amongst them. 
^Lt last the little Doctor told them that I was an 
English prisoner, whom the young French officei 
(who was with us) had in custody. Their merri- 
ment immediately gave place to pity. *' Ah ! le 
pauvre garcon," said one to another ; " he is merry 
however, in all his trouble." " And what will they 
do with him ? " said a young woman to the voyageur. 
^ O, nothing of consequence," replied he; "per 



44 LIFE AND LETTERS 

haps shoot him, or cut off his head." The honest 
souls seemed quite distressed lor me, and when I 
mentioned that I was thirsty, a bottle of wine was 
immediately placed before me, nor could I prevail 
on them to take a recompense. In short, I departed, 
loaded with their good wishes and benedictions, and 
I suppose furnished a theme of conversation through- 
out the village. 

The kind-hearted creatures not only brought 
him wine, but obliged him to fill his pockets with 
fruit. Some of them got round the young officer 
to intercede in his behalf, and to charge him to be 
kind to him. 

The incident here related seems to have left so 
durable an impression on the fancy of the pre- 
tended prisoner, that long years afterwards, in 
1845, when Minister to Spain and on his way 
from Madrid to Paris, we find him diverging 
from his route expressly to revisit this scene of 
his youthful travel. 

In a letter to his sister, Mrs. Paris, dated 
Paris, November 1, 1845, he writes : — 

My visit to Tonneins, and the banks of the Ga- 
ronne, was induced by recollections of my youthful 
lays. On my first visit to Europe, when I was but 
about twenty-one years of age, my first journey was 
up along the banks of this river on my way to Mont- 
pellier ; and the scenery of it remained in my mem- 
ory with all the magic effects of first impressions. 

Then after recounting the incident as given in 
his early letter, and adding, " it was a shame to 
leave them with such painful impressions," he 
proceeds : - - 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 45 

The recollections of this incident induced me to 
shape my course so as to strike the river just at this 
little town. A beautiful place it is ; situated on a high 
cote, commanding a Avide view of the Garonne and 
the magnificent and fertile region through which it 
flows. I found all my early impressions of the 
beauty of the scenery fully justified, and almost felt a 
kindling of the youthful romance with which I once 
gazed upon it. As my carriage rattled through the 
quiet streets of Tonneins, and the postilion smacked 
his whip with the French love of racket, I looked out 
for the house where forty years before, I had seen 
the quilting party. I believe I recognized the house ; 
and I saw two or three old women, who might once 
have formed part of the merry group of girls ; but I 
doubt whether they recognized in the stout elderly 
gentleman, thus rattling in his carriage through their 
streets, the pale young English prisoner of forty 
years since. 

The little Doctor liad an incessant flow of 
SDirits, and was continually creating whimsical 
scenes and incidents throughout the journey. 

In another town [says a further extract from the 
letter to his brother William], he took the landlady 
aside, told her I was a young Mameluke of distinc- 
tion, travelling incog., and that he was my interpre- 
ter ; asked her to bring me a large chair that I might 
sit cross-legged, after the manner of my country, and 
desired a long pipe for me that I might smoke per- 
fumes. The good woman believed every word, said 
she had no large chair, but she could place two 
chairs for me ; and as to a pipe, she had none longer 
than was generally used by the country people. 
The Doctor said that would not do, and since she 
could not furnish the articles, she might bring a bot- 



46 LIFE AND LETTERS 

tie of her best wine with good bread and cheese 
and we would eat breakfast. 

The doctor, who was " a continual fund of 
amusement to him," he also found an " excellent 
hand," as an old traveller, in protecting him from 
imposition, so that when atiy unreasonable de- 
mand '' was made upon me," he writes, " I pre- 
tended not to understand and turned them over 
to him ; by this means I escaped much troable, 
and the doctor was highly pleased with his em- 
ployment." 

At Meze, " a small town beautifully situated 
on the sea-shore," he parted with this eccentric 
genius, who, in bidding him good-by, told him 
when next they met he might probably find him 
a conjuror or high German doctor. 

It was not long before he missed the services 
of his amusing companion, for he had no sooner 
stopped at Montpellier than he was assailed by 
a regiment of porters, two of whom seized his 
trunk and brought it to his room. 

One of them [says the journal], I paid amply; 
the other insisted on a gratuity, and was so clamor- 
ous, that I had to bundle him head and heels out of 
the f'oor and slammed it to, telling him to go and 
divide the spoils with his brother vagabond. 

This summary method of settling with the 
persistent porter aifords a characteristic illustra- 
tion of the traveller's nervous inrpetuosity under 
innoyance. " You have a little of the family im- 
patience," says an admonitory passage in one of 
nis brother William's letters. It was a peculiarity 



OF WASHINGTON IRVINC. 47 

which all the children inherited in greater or lesa 
decree from the mother. 

But his protector is soon back again. On re- 
turning at night from the theatre to the inn, says 
a letter to his brother, " I was surprised to find 
the little Doctor at the hotel. He had dispatched 
his business at Cette and intends going on to 
Nice. I shall travel in company with him, and 
by that means be protected from extortion. I 
find he is a more important character than I at 
first supposed.'' 

On the 16th, early in the morning, he set off 
in a voiture with the Doctor for Nismes, and ar- 
rived in the evening. Here, where his curiosity 
and admiration were strongly excited by the Ro- 
man antiquities of the place, he began to have 
misgivings about the sufficiency of his pass^Dort. 

By some conversation [says the journal], I had 
with Dr. Henry, I had got quite out of conceit of 
my American protection ; it was in writing irom the 
mayor in New York, and he said it was a chance if 
any of the French officers of police would be able to 
read it, or would know whether to give credence to 
the signature of the mayor or not. My French pass- 
port also gave a very poor description of me ; and as 
I was continually mistaken on the road for an Eng- 
lishman, I began to apprehend I might get into some 
disagreeable situation with the police, before I could 
reach Marseilles. I was much startled, therefore, 
while sitting at supper with several others in the 
hotel, at the entry of two or three officers of the 
police with a file of soldiers. They only came, 
however, to exauiine our passports, and they passed 
over mine ^^ery lightly. 



i8 LIFE AND LETTERS 

Tlie traveller would seem to have had two 
passports from the city of Bordeaux, one from 
the Police, the other from the Chancellerie. A 
comparison of the description given of him in 
each, di.^closes some discrepancies, especially as to 
the color of his eyes, which is described as blue 
in one and gray in the other. Their actual color 
was sometimes a moot point among his friends. 
" Nose long," " nose middling," " forehead high," 
" forehead middling," mark a further dL-^agree- 
ment, though more easily reconciled.^ 

At Nismes he parted on(;e more w3th the little 
Doctor, who v\as so unwell that he determined to 
return to Montpellier, and endeavor to proceed 
from Cette by water. 

After staying two da}'s at Nismes [says a letter to 
his brother William], I set off for Avignon, full of 
enthusiasm at the thoughts of visiting the tomb of 
Laura, and of wandering amid the wild retreats and 
romantic solitudes of Vaucluse. 

The sun was setting when he caught his first 
view of the city of classic immortality, and the 
next morning he rose early, and, to resume with 
the letter, — 

Inquired for the Church of Cordeliers that contained 
the tomb of the belle Laura. Judge my surprise, 

^ I give the entire passports in translation: — 
Chcmcellerie. — Hair chesnut — eyebrows do. — eyes gray 
— nose long — mouth middling —chin large — forehead mid- 
dling—face oblong — height 5 feet 7 inches. 

Police. — Hair i nd eyebrows chesnut — eyes blue — nose 
middling — mouth middling — chin round — forehead high — • 
face oval. 



OF WASnrXGTON IRVING. 49 

my disappointment, and my indignation, when I was 
told that the church, tomb, and all, Avere utterly 
demolished in the time of the revolution. Never did 
the revohition, its authors and its consequences, re- 
ceive a more hearty and sincere execration than at 
that moment. Throughout the whole of my journey 
I had found reason to exclaim against it for depriving 
me of some valuable curiosity or celebrated monu- 
ment, but this Avas the severest disappointment it had 

yet occasioned I had calculated much 

upon visiting Vaucluse, but had most rehictantly to 
abandon the idea. It would have taken me two days 
to go there and return to Avignon. My passport 
mentioned that I was to go directly to Marseilles, 
which I was told was something particular. I had 
been continually mistaken on the road for an Eng- 
lishman, and there were one or two spies of the 
police keeping a strict watch on me while at Avig- 
non. To have set off for Vaucluse might therefore 
have occasioned an arrest, and as I could not under- 
stand the patois which is spoken throughout these 
parts, I might have been involved in vexatious diffi- 
culties, so that I had to deny myself the gratification. 
One of the spies paid me a visit, incog. ; I however 
discovered him by a ribbon he wore under his coat, 
and as I was not in the best of humors, I gave him 
a reception so diy and ungracious, that 1 believe he 
was glad to make his conqe. 

He spoke a little English, and introduced himself 
by asking, in a careless manner, if I was from Eng- 
land. I said I was from America. " From what 
part of America, if he might take the liberty to 
ask ? " " From North America." The dry, laconic 
manner in which this was given, rather disconcerted 
him — he soon recovered. " Pei'haps INIonsieur ex- 
perienced some vexations in travelling, from re- 

VOL I 4 



60 LIFE AND LETTERS 

BembliufT so mucli an Anolois." " No — not much 

— though I was sometimes subjected to impertinent 
intrusions ! " " Hera — hali — Monsieur, sans doute, 
took care always to be provided with good passports " 

— no answer. '' Because, Monsieur must know, the 
police was very strict in the interior, and had a sharp 
look-out on every stranger." " Yes, Monsieur," said 
I, turning pretty short upon him, " I know very well 
the strictness of your police, the constant watch they 
keep on the actions of strangers, and the spies with 
which an unfortunate devil of a traveller is contin- 
ually surrounded. Above all despicable scoundrels 
I despise a spy most superlatively — a wretch thai 
intrudes himself into the company of an unwar;^ 
traveller, endeavors to pry into his affairs, and gain 
his confidence only to betray him ; such creatures 
should be flogged out of society, and their employers 
meet with the contempt they merit for using such un- 
generous means." The poor chap shrugged his 
shoulders, bit his nails, shifted his seat, and when I 
had finished, replied that all that I had said was very 
true ; the police were very wrong, their regulations 
very vexatious, that he had thought proper as I was 
a stranger to give me a hint or two, hoped I might 
have a good journey, and wished me a good-day. I 
heard liim diable-ing to himself all the way down 
stairs, and meeting the master of the hotel at the 
foot he exclaimed in a half loud tone, " Je crois il 
est veritablement un Anglois." In the evenin<»; the 
master of the hotel required my passport to show to 
the police ; it was returned to me without any fur- 
ther trouble, and I was permitted to resume my jour- 
ney without interruption. 

At Marseilles, where he s])ent three v^eeks, the 
ubiquitous Doctor turns up ngain. 



OF WASniNGTON IRVING. 51 

I was agreeably surprised the other evening [says 
the journal], on returning to the hotel from a prom- 
enade, to find Dr. Henry quietly seated in the par- 
lor. It seemed as if the little man had dropped from 
the clouds, for I had supposed him still at Cette. He 
told me he had reached there the day after he parted 
with me at Nismes, but found that no vessel would 
sail in less than two months, as they would not have 
a convoy before that time. His complaint increasing, 
he determined once more to try the journey by land, 
and, after divers misfortunes, the carriajre overturn- 
ing, etc., he arrived safe at Marseilles. His health is 
better at present, liis spirits have returned, and he is 
again as merry as a cricket. 

On the 10 th of September he left Marseilles 
in company with Dr. Plenry, having engaged a 
carriao^e to take them to Nice. The inns on the 
road are described in the journal as miserable. 
" Dirt, noise, and insolence reigned witliout con- 
trol. The custom of piling manure up against 
their houses, which was used to fertilize the coun- 
try, was destructive to comfort." In a letter to 
his brother William, he remarks : — 

Fortunately for me, I am seasoned, in some degree, 
to the disagreeables from my Canada journey of last 
summer. When I enter one of these inns, to put up 
for the night, I have but to draw a comparison be- 
tAveen it and some of the log hovels into which my 
fellow-travellers and myself were huddled, after a 
fitiguing day's journey through the woods, and the 
inn appears a palace. For my part, I endeavor to 
take things as they come, with cheerfulness, and when 
I cannot get a dinner to suit my taste, I endeavor to 
Sjet a t.isre to suit mv diiUR-r. 



52 LIFE AND LETTERS 

And be adds : — 

There is notliing I dread more tlian to be taken 
tor one of the Smellfungi of this world. I the.'efore 
endeavor to be pleased with everything about me, 
and with the masters, mistresses, and servants of the 
inns, particularly when I perceive they have " all 
the dispositions in the world " to serve me ; as Sterne 
says, " It is enough for heaven and ought to be enough 
for me." 

On the evening of the 13th September, the 
travellers arrived at Nice. 

Thus [says he in the letter before quoted], hav- 
ing happily accomplished my journey through the 
South of France, I felicitated myself with the idea 
that nothing remained but to step into a felucca and 
be gently wafted to the classic shore of Italy ! Lit- 
tle did I think of being persuaded by tlie police to 
defer my departure and take time to enjoy the ch- 
mate and prospects of Nice. The next morning I 
waited on the municipality to deliver my passport 
and request another for Genoa. Monsieur Le Secre- 
taire-general perused my passport, and told me it 
was not in his power to grant me permission to de- 
part — that my passport was such as is given to sus- 
pected persons and that I must rest here contented 
until a better passport was sent on, or a permission 
from the Grand Judge at Paris authorizing my depar- 
ture. This speech absolutely struck me dumb. The 
Doctor, however, who was with me and could speak 
French far more fluently than I, took up my cause. 
He represented to the Secretary-general my situa- 
tion : young, inexperienced, for the first time sepa- 
rated from my family, in a foreign land and ignorant 
ftf the language, a vile passport had been given to 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 53 

me, and I, ignorant of the forms of the police, had 
taken it as one of the same kind that was generally 
given to ray countrymen. That now I would be de- 
tained among strangers, not understanding their lan- 
guage, out of health, solitary (as his affairs obliged 
him to set off immediately for Italy). In short, I 
cannot repeat one half of the distresses, the calami- 
ties, and the bug-bears that the Doctor summoned to 
his assistance to render his haranoue as moving as 
possible. The Secretary-general assured him that 
he felt for my situation, but it was absolutely out of 
his power to allow me to proceed — that he was 
amenable to superior authority, and dared not in- 
dulge his inclination, and that sumething suspicious 
in my deportment or affairs must certainly have oc- 
casioned this precaution in the municipality of Bor- 
deaux. The Doctor assured him that it was a mis- 
take. He had travelled with me all along, and Avould 
swear, would pledge his person, his property, his all, 
for my being a citizen of the United States, and 
that nothing had occurred either in my deportment 
or conversation that merited suspicion. In short, he 
manifested the most friendly zeal and earnestness in 
my cause, and said everything he could think of to 
obtain my passport. It was all in vain. The Secre- 
tary repeated it was out of his power to grant it, or he 
would with the sincercst pleasure, but that he would 
write to the Commissary-general of Police at Mar- 
seilles, inclosing my passport, and requesting another 
that should enable me to proceed ; in the mean time 
he would give me a letter of surety that granted me 
the liberty of the place without being subject to mo- 
'estation from police officers. Having received this 
we withdrew, thanking him for the politeness he had 
ihDwn. By the Doctor's advice I Immediately wrote 
to Mr. Schwartz and our consul at Marseilles, re- 



54 LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 

qiK'stlng them to represent my case to the Com. gen- 
eral and endeavor to have a good passport sent on 
immediately, or if there was no other way, to reclaim 
me as an American citizen. I have written to. Dr. 
Ellison and our consul, Mr. Lee, at Bordeaux, re- 
questing them to take the same measures there, and 
as Dr. Henry was to depart from here for Genoa in 
two days, I wrote by him to Hall Storm to get our 
consul there to reclaim me. Dr. Henry has promised 
to do all in his power to forward the business in that 
quarter, so I think it Avill be hard if there does not 
come relief from one quarter or another. 

Hall Storm, here mentioned, was a native of 
New York, established in business at Genoa, and 
then acting as vice-consul. He had been an 
early playmate of Mr. Irving, though somewt^t 
his senior. 




CHAPTER V. 

Continued Detention. — Friendly Ofiices of Dr. Henry. — 
Liberation. — Talvcs Felucca for Genoa. — A Whistling 
Shot. — Loiter at Genoa. — Agreeable Acquaintances. — 
Determines to visit Sicily. — Allusion to Duel of Hamilton 
and Burr. 




CONTINUE my extracts from the 
letter last quoted, to his brother Wil 
liam. 



The next day [15th September], 1 was lying down 
after dhiner, when I was suddenly awakened by the 
noise of some persons entering my chamber, and 
found an officer of the police and the Doctor stand- 
ing before me. He had come to demand my papers 
to carry before the mayor, for particular reasons. 
The Doctor told me not to disturb myself, that he 
would accompany the man and learn what was the 
cause of this visit. In about half an hour I lieard 
him coming up stah-s humming a tune in a voice 
something like that of Tom Pipes — between a 
screech and a ivhistle. He entered my room Avith a 
furious countenance, flung himself into a chair, and 
stopping all at once in the middle of his tune, began 
to curse the police in the most voluble manner, nor 
could I get a word of intelligence out of him until 
he had consigned them all to purgatory. He then 
let me know that we had been dogged about by some 
tcoundr^l of a spy who had denounced me as an 



56 LIFE AND LETTERS 

Englishman, which had occasioned the demand of 
my papers. He told me he had been before the 
Adjoint of" the mayor, who spoke English and was 
very polite ; that he had represented my situation 
to him, and had told him that he would bring me 
before him, and if he did not at once see by my 
countenance that I was an honest man, incapable of 
deceit, he would himself pledge both his property 
and his person that I would prove so in the end. I 
accordingly accompanied the Doctor before the Ad- 
joint. The latter received me very politely ; as he 
spoke English I simply stated the circumstances of 
my case, but he told me that it was unnecessary ; he 
was convinced of the folly of the suspicions that had 
been indulged against me, and assured me that while 
I remained in Nice my tranquillity should not be 
again disturbed. Having received my papers we 
withdrew. On the 17th, the Doctor set off in a 
felucca for Genoa, and though I was sorry to part 
with a man whose company was so amusing and who 
had proved himself sincerely my friend, yet I could 
not but be pleased on one account, as it would facili- 
tate my own departure, for I look chiefly to Genoa 
for effectual assistance. 

Scjit. 26. — I have just received two or three let- 
ters ; to express to you the revolution of feelings 
they occasioned is impossible. They were put into 
my hands by the maitre d'hotel just as I returned 
from one of my solitary morning rambles on the sea- 
shore, where I had been wistfully contemplating the 
ocean, and wishing myself on its bosom in full sail to 
Italy. The first packet was from my indefatigable 
friend, Dr. Henry, inclosing a letter from Hall Storm, 
and a reclamation from our consul, and all within 
twenty-four hours after his arrival. As to the letter 
from Storm, it breathes all the warmth and openness 
of heart that distinguishes that worthy fellow. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 57 

.... I have also received a packet from our 
consul at Marseilles, inclosing a letter to the Prefet 
of Kice, representing my case and urging him to 
give me a passport for Italy. Thus you see the 
prospect is opened. I have but to go to the munici- 
pality, get a passport, etc., and then away to Italy 
and Hall Storm 1 

Evening. — Such were the enlivening ideas of this 
morning, and with a light heart I danced attendance 
on the Secretary-general five or six times in the 
course of the day. At last I had the good fortune 
to have my paper carried either before him or the 
Prefet by one of the head clerks, and after waiting 
in sanguine expectation of a passport being ordered 
me, I was greeted with the cheering intelligence that 
I must rest here still for four or five days till they re- 
ceived an answer to a letter that had been written to 
the Commissary-general of Marseilles. What this 
answer is, or of what importance it is, I neither 
know nor care ; it is sufficient for me to know that I 
am in their power, and that it is needless to com- 
plain — patience par force is my motto. [The joui'- 
nal says, " I never wanted a knowledge of the lan- 
guage so much as when the clerk brought this answer ; 
I fairly gasped for words. As it was, I gave him my 
sentiments pretty roundly in the best French I could 
muster."] 

'I he letter continues : — 

I was promised that I should be forwarded with 
pleasure when a reclamation arrived from Genoa, and 
now that I have a reclamation supported by a letter 
from our consul at Marseilles, I am still detained; ancj 
3hall be obliged to dance attendance on these scoun- 
drels, I do not know how much longer ; I have felt 
what it is to have to deal with Dugs in office, and 
can say with Swift : — 



58 LIFE AND LETTERS 

" Ye gods ! if there's a man I ought to hate, 
Attendance and dependence be his fate." 

October 14. — Upwards of two weeks have elap«ied 
Bince the above was written — the time in that inter- 
val has dragged on without anything particular to 
vary its monotony. I have been made the sport of 
promises and evasions by the police, who pretend 
that they are unable to give me a passport, notwith- 
««tanding the reclamation, etc. ; that they must have 
authority from Paris, though they have not taken the 
trouble to write to Paris. Fortunately, however, I 
wrote to Mr. Lee, our consul at Bordeaux, when J 
was first detained ; he immediately wrote to our 
minister at Paris, in my favor, in consequence oi 
which I received a very polite letter from Robert L. 
Livingston, Esq., son-in-law of the minister, inform- 
ing me that the minister had received the account of 
my situation from Mr. Lee, and immediately had sent 
a passport to the Grand Judge for his signature, and 
that it would most probably come on by the same 
mail, at furthest by the mail ensuing. 

The promised passport arrived on the 16th, 
and the next morning, after a tedious detention of 
five weeks, he set sail in a felucca for Genoa 
coasting along near the land, for fear of the pri- 
vateers that infested the Mediterranean, and in 
the evening putting into the towns to pass the 
night. At one place near Alberga the felucca 
had receded beyond her usual distance from the 
shore, when a small vessel that lay under an 
island fired a gun ahead of them on suspicion of 
her being a privateer. 

" Our padrone," says the journal, " immediately 
displayed the Genoese 11 ag, and hailed the vessel. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 59 

Either they did not see or hear him, or their sus- 
picions were very strong, for they fired another 
shot at us, which whistled just over our heads. 
Towards evening the breeze died away, and the 
men had to take to their oars. It was a bright 
moonlioht, and the sound of a convent bell from 
amons: the mountains would now and then salute 
their ears, and immediately the rowers would rest 
on their oars, pull oiF their caps, and offer up 
their prayers." 

They passed the night at Savona, and the next 
day entered the harbor of Genoa, where he met 
with a most cordial and open-hearted reception 
from his friend Storm, with whom he took up his 
quarters in the wing of an old palace. The 
pleasure of this meeting was no doubt wonder- 
fully heightened by his long and friendless soli- 
tude at Nice. In a letter to his young friend, 
John Furman, dated Genoa, October 24, 1804, 
he is almost at a loss to express his sense of the 
happiness of this meeting with an old comrade 
from New York. 

You [he says], who have never been from home 
in a land of strangers, and for some time without 
friends, cannot conceive the joy, the rapture of meet- 
ing with a favorite companion in a distant part of 
the world. 

Time passed rapidly and pleasantly with the 
young traveller at Genoa. 

I have now been in Genoa six weeks [he writes to 
William, November 30th], and, so far from being tired 
of it, I every day feel more and more delighted with 



60 LIFE AND LETTERS 

my situation, and unwilling to part. I can not speak 
with sufficient warmth of the reception I have met 
with from Storm. We have scarcely been out of 
each other's sight all the time I have been here, and 
he has introduced me to the first society in Genoa, 
from whom I have received the most flattering atten- 
tions. 

Some weeks later we find him in the following 
letter still at Genoa, preparing to tear himself 
away from the friendly circle of acquaintance he 
had formed, and mingle again among strangers. 

[To William Irving.'] 

Genoa, December 20, 1804. 
Dear Brother : — 

I yesterday received your letter, and return you a 
thousand thanks for the length and minuteness of it. 
You cannot imagine how enlivening it was to me, 
and with what a greedy eye I read every line three 
or four times. 

. . . . Part of your letter was written on the 
25th of October, which was /?ye days after I arrived in 
Genoa, and here it found me still. It is a most for- 
tunate thing that I received your letters before my 
departure, as they will influence me much in my 
route. You will be pleased to hear that your wish 
that I should visit Sicily will be fully gratified, and 
in a manner most convenient and agreeable to my- 
self. I set sail to-morrow in the ship Matilda of 
Philadelphia, bound for Messina in Sicily, where she 
takes in a cargo of wines for America. The ship 
was formerly a Charleston packet, and has excellent 
accommodations. The captain is an honest, worthy 
old gentleman, of the name of Strong. He is highly 



OF WASH IN (3 TON IRVING, 61 

delighted with the thoughts of my going, has laid in 
excellent stores, prepared the best berth, and says ho 
intends to make my passage as conilbrtable as possi- 
ble. Had not this opportunity offered, I would have 
been obliged to make a long roundabout tour by the 
way of Milan, Bologna, Ancona, etc., etc.. to Rome, 
as all Tuscany is surrounded by cordones (lines of 
soldiers) where I should be detained, quarantined, 
smoked, and vinegared, and perhaps, after all, not 
have been suffered to pass 

I have been to-day to bid farewell to my Genoese 
friends, and a painful task it was I assure you. The 
very particular attentions I have received here have 
rendered my stay delightful. I really felt as if at 
home, surrounded by my friends. Though my ac- 
quaintances were very numerous, I particularly con- 
fined my visits to three places. Lady Shaftesbury's, 
Madame Gabriac's, and Mrs. Bird's. From Lady 
Shaftesbury I have experienced the most unreserved 
and cordial friendship. I visited her house every 
night, dined there frequently, and supped whenever 
I chose 

Madame Gabriac's was another favorite visiting 
place. She is a lady of the first rank, and speaks 
English extremely well. We were always sure of a 
merry evening in her company, when she would dis- 
cuss the fashionable intelligence of Genoa Avitli a 
whim and humor peculiar to herself She expressed 
the greatest regret at my departure, and furnishes 
me with a letter of introduction to her friend, the 
Marchesa Miranda at Florence, a lady of whom I 
have heard much, both for beauty and understand- 
ing. 

I dined to-day at Mrs. Bird's at Sestri, to bid hei 
familv fixrewell. I believe I have sijoken before to 
you of this charming woman and h^r lovely daugh- 



62 LIFE AND LETTERS 

ters. We have spent several delightful days in 
their company at Sestri, and received the most hos- 
pitable attentions 

1 had nearly forgotten to mention to you that I 
was presented to the Doge on his levee night by his 
nephew, Sign or Lerra, and had a very polite recep- 
tion 

It is with the greatest uneasiness that I hear of 
the continued precariousness of sister Nancy's health. 
I wish to heaven I had her with me in these mild 
climates, where her feeble frame would soon recruit. 
The rude shocks of the western winters she has to 
encounter are too violent for a delicate constitution 
that is at the mercy of every breeze. For myself I 
am another being. Health has new strung my 
limbs, and endowed me with an elasticity of spirits 
that gilds every scene with sunshine and heightens 
every enjoyment. 

It was at Genoa that the traveller received a 
letter from his brother William, inclo.-ing an 
official account of the sad duel in which Hamilton 
fell by the hand of Burr, and exhibiting a dis- 
tressing picture of the political excitement which 
was then at its height in his native city. His 
reply gives, incidentally, an insight into his early 
political preferences ; while he regrets the ran- 
corous height party animosity was attaining in 
the country, he speaks of himself as " an ad- 
mirer of General Hamilton, and a partisan with 
him in politics." " My fellow-countrymen do not 
know the blessings they enjoy," he adds ; " they 
are trifling with their felicity, and are, in fact, 
themselves their worst enemies. I sicken when I 
think of our political broils, slanders, and enmi" 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 63 

ties, and I think, when I again find myself in 
New York, I shall never meddle any more in 
politics." 

I close this chapter with his last lines from 
Genoa, in a letter to his brother William, already 
quoted in part. 

I am finishing this letter in the morning ; the 
wind is fair, the day lovely, and everything appears 
to befriend me. I have to haste and pack up my 
trunk, so that I must tear myself away from the 
pleasure of writing to you. In a little while I shall 
be once more on the ocean. I am a friend to that 
element, for it has hitherto used me well, and I shall 
feel quite at home on shipboard. 

You see I set off in high glee, though I expect to 
have a serious heartache when I lose sight of Genoa. 

Eeaven bless you, my dear brother. 

W. L 




CHAPTER YI. 




From Genoa to Messina. — Christmas at Sea. — Adventure 
with Pirates. — Quarantine. — High Converse with Cap- 
tain Strong, 

[To William Irving,'] 

Ship Matilda, December 25, 1804. 
My Dear Brother: — 

N my last letter from Genoa, T mentioned that 
I was on the point of embarking with a fine 
wind and charming weather. I was disap- 
pointed in the expectation. The wind blew too 
strong for the vessel to warp out of the harbor, and 
we were detained till the 23d, when we set sail at 
two o'clock with a brisk gale, and soon left sweet 
Genoa and all its friendly inhabitants behind us. [I 
remained (says the journal) alternately gazing upon 
Sestri and Genoa, till they faded in the distance, 
and evening veiled them even from the siirht of 
the telescope.] The wind died away before evening, 
and the next day it sprung up ahead, where it has con 
tinned ever since, keeping us baffling about opposite 

Leghorn 

I began this letter on Christmas-day — it is now 
the evening of the twenty-eighth ; all this while have 
we been beating about in nearly the same place, 
among some small islands that lie between Corsica 
and the Tuscan shore. There are three other pas- 
sengers, Genoese captiins of vessels, who speak 



J.1FE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. G5 

Frencli very well ; they sleep in the steerage, and 
leave me the cabin to myself. The captain is an 
honest, worthy old soul of a religious turn (though 
he never talks of religion), and violently smitten 
with an affection for lunar observations. The old 
gentleman has likewise an invincible propensity to 
familiarize the names of people ; it is always l^om 
Truxton, Kit Columbus, and Jack Styles with him, 
and he cannot tell you the name of the author of a 
book without Jacking or Gilling him. He is ex- 
tremely obliging and good-humored, and strives to 
render my situation as agreeable as possible. 

2dlh. — We have at length, to our great satisfac- 
tion, cleared the island of Elba, and are now passing 
between it and the island of Plancsa. The latter is 
a place of shelter and ambuscade for small priva- 
teers that infest these parts, and lie in wait here to 
sally out on vessels as they pass. These little prlva 
ieers are of the kind that sctraen term pickaroons. 
They are unprincipled in their depredations, plunder- 
ing from any nation. One of tiie Genoese captains 
assured me th^t they were worse than the Algerines 
or Tripolitans, as tiie latter nations only capture and 
make prisoners, whereas these villains often accom- 
pany their depredations with cruelty and murder, and 
have even been known to plunder the ship, sink her, 
and kill the crew to prevent discovery and punish- 
neni. They may be termed the banditti of the ocean^ 
trAving very seldom any commission or authority. 

3Qth. — 1 was sitting in the cabin yesterday writing 
rery tranquilly, when word was brought that a sail 
was seen coming off towards us from the island. 
The Genoese captain, after regarding it through a 
spy-glass, turned pale, and said it was one of those 
privateers of which he had been speaking to me. 
A moment after she fired a gun, upon which we 

VOL. I. 5 



oQ LIFE AND LETTFAiS 

hoisted the American flag. Another gun was fired, 
the ball of which passed between the main and tore- 
masts, and we immediately brought to. We went to 
work directly to conceal any trifling articles of value 
that we had. As to myself, I put my letters of credit 
in ray inside coat pocket, and gave two Spanish doub- 
loons (which was all the cash I had), one to the 
cabin-boy, and the other to a little Genoese lad, to 
take care of for me, as it was not very probable that 
they would be searched. By this time the privateer 
had come within hail. She was quite small, about 
the size of one of our Staten IslauJ ferry boats, with 
lateen-sails, and two small guns in the bow. (As for 
us, we had not even a pistol on board.) They were 
under French colors, and hailing us, ordered the cap- 
tain to come on board with his papers. He accord- 
ingly went, and after some time returned, accompa- 
nied by several of the privateersmen. One of them 
appeared to have command over the rest ; he was a 
tall, stout fellow, shabbily dressed, without any coat, 
and his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, display- 
ing a formidably muscular pair of arms. His crew 
would have shamed Falstalf's ragged regiment in 
their habiliments, while their countenances displayed 
the strongest lines of villainy and rapacity. They 
carried rusty cutlasses in their hands, and pistols and 
stilettos were stuck in their belts and waistbands. 
After the leader had given orders to shorten sail, he 
deuianded the passports and bills of health of the 
passengers, etc., and made several inquiries concern- 
ing the cargo. These we answered by means of one 
of his men, who spoke a little English, and another 
who spoke French, and to whom I translated our re- 
plies. He then told the captain and myself that we 
must go on board of the privateer, as the comraan- 
der wanted to make some inquiries, and that I coii'd 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 67 

act as interpreter. As we were going over the side, 
the Genoese captain stopped me privately, and with 
tears in his eyes enti'eated me not to leave the ship, 
as he believed they only intended to separate us all, 
that they might cut our throats the more easily. I 
represented to him how useless and impolitic it would 
be to dispute their orders, as it would only enrage 
them ; that we were completely in their power, and 
they could as easily dispatch us on board the ship as 
in the privateer, wc having no arms to defend our- 
selves. The poor man shook his head, and said he 
hoped the Virgin would protect me. When we ar- 
rived on board the privateer I own my heart almost 
failed me ; a more villainous-looking crew I never be- 
held. Their dark complexions, rough beards, and 
fierce black eyes scowling under enormous bushy eye- 
brows, gave a character of the greatest ferocity to 
their countenances. They were as rudely accoutred 
as their comrades that had boarded us, and like them, 
armed with cutlasses, stilettos, and pistols. They 
seemed to regard us with the most malignant looks, 
and I thought I could perceive a sinister smile upon 
their countenances, as If triumphing over us who had 
fallen so easily into their hands. Their captain, 
a,fter reading over our papers and asking us several 
questions about the vessel and cargo, said he only 
stopped us to know if we had the regular bills of 
health, telling us some confused contradictory story 
of his being employed by the health office of Leg- 
horn. After a while he gave us permission to return 
on board, with which we cheerfully complied, but 
our pleasure was damped when we found that he re- 
tained all our papers. On arriving on board we un- 
derstood that they had been rummaging the ship, and 
jrtd ordered them to stand for the shore that the ves- 
svii might be brouiiht to aisv-hur. When our saila 



68 LIFE AND LETTERS 

were almost in, a signal was given, upon which the 
privateer fired a gun, gave three cheers, and hoisted 
English colors. The captain or leader then turned 
round with a grin, and said that we were a good prize. 
We told him to recollect we were Americans. He 
Slid it was all one; everything was a good prize 
tliat came from Genoa, as the port was blockaded. 
We replied that there had been no English frigates 
off the port for six months past, consequently they 
could not pretend but that the blockade had ceased. 
He said we would find the contrary when we arrived 
at Malta, where he intended to carry us. We 
thought it most advisable to be silent, confident that 
if we were carried to Malta they could do nothing 
with us. The Genoese captain said he was con- 
vinced from their behavior that they had no idea of 
cairying us there, but that they were merely a band 
of pirates without commission, and bent upon plun- 
lering. 

They then commenced overhauling the ship in 
hopes of finding money. The leader, and one of 
his comrades who spoke a little English, began with 
the cabin, ordering the others to remain on deck to 
keep guard. They first came across my portmanteau, 
which I opened for them, and the captain rummaged 
it completely without finding any money, which ap- 
peared to be his main object. The one who spoke 
English was em})loyed in reading my papers, perhaps 
hoping to find bills of exchange ; but as they were 
chiefly letters of introduction he soon grew tired, and 
turning to his companion said it was an unprofitable 
business, that I had letters for all Italy and France, 
but they were nothing but reconnnendations. 

Eh bien, replied the other, we may as well let his 
things alone for the present — c'est un homme qui 
court tout !(' 7>ii)ir!i-. ('Tis a man who is rambling 



OF WASH iXG TON IRVING. 69 

Dver all the world.) Among other letters of intro- 
duction they came across two for Malta, one to Sir 
Isaac Ball, the governor, and another to a principal 
English merchant ; after this they treated me with 
much more respect, and the captain told me I might 
put up my things again in the portmanteau. I hud- 
dled them in carelessly, as I expected never again to 
have the use of them, and locking the trunk olfered 
the key to the captain ; he, however, told me to keep 
it myself, as he had no present occasion for it. By 
this time his myrmidons on deck had lost all pa- 
tience, and came crowding into the cabin demanding 
permission to search the vessel. The leader spoke 
something to them, and immediately they went to 
work, ravenous as wolves, ransacking every hole and 
corner. They were extremely disappointed at find- 
ing so little aboard to pillage. The vessel having an 
intention of loading with wine at Messina had no 
cargo on board but five or six pipes of brandy, some 
few tons of paper, a little verdigris, and two boxes of 
quicksilver. The latter they hoisted out of the run 
with triumph, thinking them filled with money, but 
were highly chagrined at discovering their real con- 
tents. 

After several hours spent In this manner, the com- 
mander-in-chief came off from the Island in a boat. 
This fellow, I believe, was commodore of the squad- 
ron, for I learned that there were two more small 
privateers in a harbor of the island. He was as 
ragged as the rest, though rather a good-looking fel- 
low in the countenance. After looking over our 
pa})ers and consulting with his comrades, I suppose 
they found out that it was impolitic to be very hard 
apon us, as we had not sufficient on board to en- 
courage them in running any risk, and they well 
scnew they could not justify themselves in taking au 



70 LIFI<: AND LETTERS 

Aiuerlcan vessel. They therefore returned our 
papers, and told us that though the ship was a lawful 
prize, yet tliey would be generous and permit us to 
proceed ; that they did not wish to use any fo7'ce, but 
would be much obliged to us for some provisions, as 
they were almost out. We of course had to comply 
with their request, and they took about half the pro- 
visions that we had on board. 

They likewise took some articles of ship furniture, 
and one of the under vairabonds stole a watch and 
some clothes out of the trunks of the Genoese pas- 
sengers. It is impossible to describe the chagrin and 
raiie of the common fellows at being restrained from 
plundering ; they swore the skip was a good prize, and 
I almost expected to see them rise against their leaders 
for contradicting them. The captains then gave us 
a receipt for what they had taken, requesting the 
British consul at Messina to pay for the same ; and 
about sunset, to our great joy, they bade us adieu, 
having been on board since eleven o'clock in the 
morning. For my own part, they did not take the 
least article from me. The wind was fair, and we 
spread every sail in hopes of leaving this nest of 
pirates behind us ; but the wind fell before dark, and 
we lay becalmed all night. You may imagine how 
unpleisant was our situation, under strong apprehen- 
sion that some of the gang, inflamed with the liquor 
they had taken from us, might come off in the night, 
unknown to the leaders, and commit their depreda- 
tions without fear or restraint. In spite of my un- 
easiness, J was. so fatigued that I laid down in my 
clothes, and soon fell asleep ; but my rest was broken 
and disturbed by horrid dreams. The assassin-like 
figures of the ruffians were continually before me, 
and two or three times I started but of my bed, with 
^he horrid idea that theh' stilettos were raised 
against my bosom. 



OF WASIHNGTON rRVlNG. 7i 

Happily for us, a favorable wind sprung up early 
this inorniniT, and we had the satisfaction of leavin" 
the island fiir behind us before sunrise 

January 5. — At daybreak this morning we found 
ourselves within a few miles of the straits of Messina, 
and near to the Calabrian coast. The sunrise pre- 
sented to us one of the most charming scenes I ever 
beheld. To our left extended the Calabrian moun- 
tains, their summits still partially enveloped in the 
mists of morning, the sun having just risen fi-om be- 
hind them, and breaking in full splendor from among 
the clouds. Immediately before us was the celebrated 
straits immortal in history and song ; to the right 
Sicily gradually swept up into verdant mountains, 
skirted with delightful little plains. The whole 
country was lovely and blooming as if In the midst 
of spring ; and villages, towns, and cottages height- 
ened the beauty of the prospect 

On arriving at Messina the vessel had to un- 
dergo quarantine, " one of the torments of these 
seas," he pronounces " infinitely more hideous 
than Pelorus, Scylla, and Chary bdis with all 
their terrors." 

January 10. — We are safely moored at Quaran- 
tine [he continues] in front of the Lazaretto, which 
is built on the promontory facing the town. They 
have doomed us to this species of imprisonment for 
twenty-one days, notwithstanding we come from a 
healthy port, are all hearty, and have scarcely any 
cargo on board. Our quarantine is longer than it oth- 
erwise would have been, in consequence of our having 
been boarded by the pirates off Planosa 

The Genoese captain had advised Strong to 
suppress the fact of their having been boarded by 



72 LIFE AND LETTERS 

the pirates, if he wished to escape quarantiue. 
If the question is put to me, said the honest cap- 
tain, I must tell the truth. I have heard the au- 
thor relate, with marked satisfaction, another in- 
stance of the scrupulous probity of the captain. 
The pirates took half a cask of brandy. There 
were five on board, one of which belonged to 
Strong. " That's from my cask," said tlie cap- 
tain, as he noted the depredation. " Tut, cap- 
tain," rejoined the mate, " don't you know the 
proverb, ' captains' fowls never die.' " " No, no,' 
said the captain. " I marked it - — it is my 
cask." 

I resume with the letter : — 

The same day that we ari'ived, there 
entered also the United States schooner Nautilus from 
Syracuse. I have already become quite intimate with 
the officers, and have had several conversations 
with them. As Ave are an infectious vessel, we are 
not allowed to communicate with them, except at a 
proper distance. Dent (the captain) is a Philadel- 
phian, and appears to be a very clever gentlemanlike 
fellow. He expects to return to Syracuse in a few 
days, and has invited me to take a passage with him, 

which I, of coui'se, shall do At Syracuse 

there arc several of our vessels, so that I shall be 
quite among my fellow-countrymen, and most' prob- 
ably find some old acquaintances 

His long quarantine had proved an intolerable 
species of imprisonment to the traveller ; though 
what with the stu I7 of Italian, the reading of 
books on Sicily, procured from shore, and ranging 
the harbor in the yawl of the ship, which he had 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 73 

fitted up with sails, he managed to pass away the 
time. This last amusetnent, however, was attend- 
ed with the drawbacik of having a guard from the 
health office con.>^tantlj with him. He also found 
a fund of entertainment in frequent discourses 
with the captain. 

Our conversation [he writes] is whimsical enough, 
and we alternately discuss the New Testament and 
the Nautical Almanac, and talk indiscriminately of 
Joe Pilmore, Jack Hamilton More, Tom Trnxton, Kit 
Columbus, and Jack Wesley. Methodism and lunar 
observations preside by turns, and you may jud"-e 
how Avell calculated I am to shine at either. The 
poor old gentleman thinks he is among a set of bar- 
barians, who are groping in ignorance, and " stumblino- 
upon the dark mountains." He groans whenever the 
bells ring for mass, abominates the herds of priests 
and monks that crowd this place, and has plainly 
demonstrated to me, that the Roman Church is the 
great beast Avith seven horns, and the pope is no 
more and no less than the whore of Babylon. 

Poor Strong ! on his next voyage his vessel 
was found a floating wreck, but he always lin- 
gered in the mind of his young companion in 
loving remembrance; and one of the last allu- 
sions to his early years that he ever made to ine 
recalled the worthy commander. 



CHAPTER VII. 

Scyila and Charybdis. — Nelson's Fleet. — Passage to Syra- 
cuse. — Ear of Dionysius. — The Listening Chamber Ex- 
plored. — Catania. — Partial Ascent of ^Etna. — To Palermo. 
— Dismal Accommodations. — A Night Alarm. — A Chance 

Entertainment. 




lESSINA was at this time but the shad- 
ow of what it had been, not having yet 
recovered from the paralyzing eil'ects of 
the earthquake of 1783, the marks of which were 
everywhere discernible in heaps of rums. His 
stay in it was short, and was rendered unpleasant 
by an unfortunate rencontre in the streets at 
night between one of the officers of the Nautilus 
and the mate of an English transport, in which 
the latter was killed. This occasioned much stir 
among the English at Messina, who insisted upon 
the governor's demanding the officer from the 
captain of the schooner. Caj)tain Dent rehised 
to give him up, but pledged his word of honor 
■,hat he should be delivered into the hands of the 
commodore at Syracuse, with a full statement of 
the affair. With this the governor was satisfied. 
thoui{h the Eufflish were strenuous that he should 
use forcible measures, urging him to have the 
forts manned, and the Nautilus stopped from 
leaving the port until the officer was surrendered. 
Blr. Irving, wlio had, as soon as he was released 



iJFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. iT) 

from Quarantine, taken up his qunrters on board 
of the Nautilus, where he was treated quite like 
an old friend by Captain Dent, in consequence of 
this unfortunate affair avoided mingling much in 
liompany at Messina, esj^ecially as the society to 
which his letters introduced him was chiefly Eng- 
lish, and a circumstance of this nature must 
necessarily throw a constraint over that inter- 
course. " When so far from home," he remarks, 
in alluding to the affair, " it is impossible to avoid 
being extremely natL>iial." 

On the morning of the 29th of January they 
set sail for Syracuse, in company with an English 
<Jchooner, with timber for repairing the mast of 
♦he President. Losing sight of their convoy the 
next morning, and supposing she had put back to 
Messina, they veered about, and ran before the 
wind for that port. " We passed through Clia- 
rybdis," says the journal, " which made a heavy 
broken sea. After all that has been said and 
sung of this celebrated place, it would make but 
a contemptible appearance aside of our pass called 
Hell-gate; and is nothing to compare to it either 
in real or apparent danger." 

They found the city in a state of alarm. News 
nad been brought that a fleet had been seen off 
the Straits, and the inhabitants feared that it was 
the French or English coming to take possession 
cf the place. The richer part began to push off 
into the country with their money and valuable.^. 

The next moiming, to resume with the journal, 

" Two ships of the line were seen entering the Straits. 
The whole town was immediately in an uproar ; the 



re LIFE AND LETTERS 

IMarino was crowded Avith spectators ; couriers pass* 
ing and repassing from the city to the Faro, am 
troops marching about to man the forts. Several 
more ships made their appearance, and it was ascer- 
tained to be the Enghsh fleet. In a short time Lord 
Nelson's ship, the Victory, hove in sight. They all 
advanced most majestically up the Straits. The peo- 
ple seemed to wait in fearfUl expectation. The fleet, 
however, soon relieved their apprehensions ; they con- 
tinued on without entering the harbor. We imme- 
diately got under way, making a signal for the Eng- 
lish schooner to do the same, as we wished to have a 
good view of them. The English schooner was a 
long time in coming out, which gave us a fine oppor- 
tunity by standing back again to examine the fleet. 
It consisted of eleven sail of the line, three frigates, 
and two brigs, all in prime order, and most noble 
vessels. We had understood, before we left Messina, 
that Nelson was in search of the French fleet which 
had lately got out of Toulon, They continued in 
sight all day. It was very pleasing to observe with 
what promptness and dexterity the signals were made, 
answered, and obeyed. It seemed as a body of men 
under perfect discipline. Every ship appeared to 
know its station immediately, and to change position 
agreeably to command, with the utmost precision. 
Nelson has brought them to perfect discipline ; ho 
has kept them at sea a long time with very little ex- 
pense, they seldom having more than three sails set 
all the while they were oH' Toulon. He takes great 
pride in them, and says there is not a vessel among 
them that he would wish out of the fleet." 

In less than a year. Nelson's young admirer, 
who chronicled this animating spectacle, was one 
of thronging thousands that pressed to behold hi? 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 77 

remains as they lay in state at Greenwich, 
wiMpped in tli^e flag that now floated so proudly 
above liim. 

The passage to Syracuse was short and agree- 
able. The society of the officers made a lively 
wardroom. " Good humor reigned among them, 
and they had always a joke or a good story at 
hand to make the time pass away gayly." He 
found at Syracuse several of the American ships 
that liad been sent out against Tripoli — the frig- 
ates President, Essex, Constellation, and Congress, 
and the brig Vixen, and was introduced to the 
officers. 

Arrived at Syracuse, " I was impatient to land/' 
says the journal, " and view the interior of a 
city once so celebrated for arts and arms. But, 
heavens ! what a change ! Streets gloomy and 
ill-built, and poverty, filth, and misery on every 
side ; no countenance displaying the honest traits 
of ease find independence ; all is servility, indi- 
gence, and discontent." 

In this once magnificent and populous city, now 
so reduced, there was still much to interest the 
imagination and gratify the curiosity o( the young 
traveller : the singularly picturesque and beau- 
tiful garden of the Latomie, that needed only the 
hand of taste to make another Eden ; the classic 
fountain of Arethusa, whose gushing waters were 
now the resort of '• half-naked nymplis busily 
employed in washing ; " the remains of its ancient 
theatre, aqueduct, and temples, which spoke ot 
t!ie (lays of its highest splendor, and the vast 
catacombs that extended to an imkuown distance 



78 LIFE AND LETTERS 

under ground — the silent abodes of a miglitj 
population passed away. 

His jcnirnal contains descriptions of these and 
other interesting curiosities, which it does not fall 
within my plan to extract. I give only, as par- 
taking of adventure and presenting some features 
of novelty, his exploration of the secret chamber 
of Dionysius, which Brydone, in his tour hi Sicily, 
describes as " totally inaccessible." To make 
proof of its tnystcries, therefore, was something of 
a notable exploit. 

February 4. — This morning I walked out of towr 
to visit the celebrated Ear of Dionysius the Tyrant. 
I was accompanied by Dr. Baker of the President, 
Davis, a midshipman, and Tootle, purser of the 
JVautilus. 

The approach to the Ear is through a vast quarry 
one of those from whence the stone for the edifices 
of ancient Syracuse was procured. The bottom of 
this quarry is cultivated 'n many places, and being 
entirely open overhead to the sun and sheltered on 
every side from the wind by high precipices, it is very 
fertile. 

Travellers have generally been very careless in 
their account of the Ear. Some one originally 
etarted the observation that it was cut in the form of 
a human ear, and every one who has since given a 
description of it has followed in the same track and 
made the same remark. Brydone, among the rest, 
joins in it. . . . 

The Ear is a vast serpentine cavern, something in 
the form of the letter § reversed ; its greatest width 
is at the bottom, from whence it narrows with an in- 
flection to the top, something like the external shape 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 79 

of an ass's ear. Its height is about eighty or ninety 
feet, and its length about one hundred and twenty. 
It is the same height and dimensions from the en- 
trance to the extremity where it ends abruptly. The 
marks of the tools are still perfectly visible on tho 
walls of the cavern. 

The rock is brought to a regular surface the 
whole extent, without any projection or curvatures as 
in the human ear. About half way in the cavern is 
a small square recess or chamber cut in one side of 
the wall even with the ground, and at the interior 
extremity there appears to be a small recess at the 
top, but it is at present inaccessible. A poor man 
who lives in the neighborhood attended us with 
torches of straw, by which we had a very good view 
of the interior of the Ear. Holes are discernible 
near the interior end of the cave, which are made 
in the wall at regular distances and ascend up in an 
inclined direction. They are about an inch in diame- 
ter. Some of the company were of opinion that 
they have formerly contributed to- the support of a 
stairs or ladder, but there is no visible place where 
a stairs could lead to, and the holes do not go above 
half the height of the cavern. 

There are several parts of the Ear in wliich the 
discharge of a pistol makes a prodigious report, 
heightened by the echoes and reverberations of the 
cavern. One of the company had a fowling-piece 
which he discharged, and it made a noise almost 
erjual to a discharge of artillery, though not so sharp 
a report. A pistol also produced a report similar 
to a volley of musketry. The best place to stand 
to hear the echoes to advantage is in the mouth of 
the cavern. A piece of paper torn in this place 
makes an echo as if soine, person hnd struck the wall 
violently with a stiek in ihe back of the cave. 



80 LIFE AND LETTERS 

This singular cavern is called tlie Ear of Diony- 
eius, from the purpose for which it is said to have 
been destined by that tyrant. Conscious of the dis- 
affection of his subjects, and the hatred and enmity 
his tyrannical government had produced, he became 
suspicious and distrustfid even of his courtiers that 
surrounded him. He is said to have had this cavern 
made for the confinement of those persons of whom 
he had the strongest suspicions. It was so con- 
structed that anything said in it, in ever so low a 
murnmr, would be conveyed to a small aperture that 
opened into a little chamber where he used to station 
himself and listen. This chamber is still shown. It 
is on the outside of the Ear just above the entrance, 
and communicates with the interior. Some of the 
officers of our navy have been in it last summer ; 
they were lowered down to it by ropes, and mention 
that sounds are conveyed to it from the cavern with 
amazing distinctness. I wished very much [continues 
the journal] to get to it, and the man who attended 
us brought me a cord for the purpose, but my com- 
panions protested they would not assist in lowering 
me down, and finally persuaded me that it was too 
hazardous, as the cord was small and might be chafed 
throusjh in rubbing ag^ainst the rock, in which case 1 
would run a risk of being dashed to pieces. I there- 
fore abandoned the project for the present. [He re- 
sumed it, however, in two days.] 

6:7i. — This morning [says the journal], Lieuts. 
Murray and Gardner, and Capt. Hall, of the ship 
President^ Capt. Dent of the Nautilus, and myseltj 
set off to pay another visit to the Ear of Dionysius. 
AVe dispatched betbrehand a midshipman and four 
sailors with a spar and a couple of halyards. On ar- 
riving there, we went to the top of the precipice im- 
mediately over the mouth of the cave. Here wu 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 81 

fastened ourselves to one of the halyards, and were 
lowered successively over the edge of the precipice 
(having previously disposed the spar along the edge 
of the rock so as to keep the halyard from chafing) 
into a small hole over the entrance of the Ear, and 
about fifteen feet from the summit of the precipice. 
The persons lowered were Murray, Hall, the midship- 
man and myself, the others swearing they would not 
risk their necks to gratify their curiosity. 

The cavern narrows as it approaches tlie top, until 
it ends in a narrow channel that runs the whole ex- 
tent, and terminates in this small chamber. A pas- 
sage from this hole or chamber appears to have been 
commenced to be cut to run Into the interior of the 
rock, but was never carried more than ten or fifteen 
feet. We then began to make experiments to prove 
if sound was communicated from below to this spot 
in any extraordinary degree. Gardner fired a pistol 
repeatedly, but it did not appear to make a greater 
noise than when we were below in the mouth of the 
cavern. We then tried the conveyance of voices ; in 
this we were more successful. One of the company 
stationed himself at the interior extremity of the Ear. 
and applying his mouth close to the wall, spoke to 
me just above a whisper. I was then stationed with 
my ear to the wall in the little chamber on high and 
about two hundred and fifty feet distant, and could 
hear him very distinctly. We conversed with one 
another in this manner for some time. Wc then 
moved to other parts of the cavern, and I could 
hear him with equal facility, his voice seeming to be 
just behind me. When, however, he applied his 
mouth to the opposite side of the cave, it was by no 
means so distinct. This is easily accounted for, as 
one side of the channel is broken away at the mouth 
of the cavern, which injures the conveyance of the 

VOL. I. (i 



82 LIFE AND LETTERS 

sound. After all, I doubt very much whether the 
save was ever intended for the purposes ascribed to 
it. The fact is, that when more than one person 
speaks at a time, it creates such a confusion of sound 
between their voices and the echoes, that it is im- 
possible to distinguish what they say. This we tried 
repeatedly, and found to be invariably the case. 

But the antiquities of Syracuse did not engage 
the exclusive attention of the traveller. He 
found a romantic interest in visiting the convents, 
and endeavoring to get " a sly peep " at tiie nuns. 
The following extract from his journal shows him 
seeking amusement in another scene. 

lOth. — In the evening I went to a masquerade at 
the theatre. 

I had dressed myself in the character of an old 
physician, which was the only dress I could procure, 
and had a vast deal of amusement amonjr the ofR- 
ecrs. I spoke to them in broken English, mingling 
Italian and French with it, so that they thought I 
wns a Sicilian. As I knew many anecdotes of al- 
most all of them, I teazed them the whole evening, 
till at length one of them discovered me by my voice, 
which I happened not to disguise at the moment. 

In the further prosecution of his tour in Sicily, 
Mr. Irving found it impossible to continue the 
accustomed minuteness of his journal. His cor- 
respondence also was suspended. He was so 
constantly in motion, and objects presented them- 
selves so rapidly and in such variety that he had 
scarcely a moment to write, and was obliged to 
content himself with a few hurried notes in pen- 
cil, and to forego altogether his usual mode of 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 83 

scribbling a little every day or two to his brother 
William, treating of objects and incidents as they 
occurred. In a letter to the latter, dated at 
Rome, he attempts a brief retrospect of his tour, 
from which I make an extract. 

I remained at Syracuse [he wTites] about nine 
days, delighted with finding myself surrounded with 
fellow-countrymen. Among the officers of the ships, 
I found several of the finest young fellows I ever 
knew, " open, and generous, and bountiful, and 
brave." Every ship was to me a home, and every 
officer a friend. Having satisfied myself with re- 
spect to the melancholy monuments of ancient great- 
ness that remain around Syracuse, I left there with 
extreme regret on the 11th February, in company 
with Captain Hall, captain of marines on board of 
the President, a young fellow of Charleston, of great 
vivacity and spirit ; Wynn and Wadsworth, of Con- 
necticut, pursers of the Congress and President, both 
excellent companions, particularly Wynn, who is a 
fellow of great whim and humor. Our destination 
was Catania, and we made a very respectable caval- 
cade. Hall, myself, and a servant we had with us, 
were mounted on mules. Wynn and Wadsworth 
were seated in a lettiga, a kind of sedan chair that 
accommodates two persons who sit facing each other ; 
it is slung on two poles, that are borne by two mules, 
one before and one behind. We had, besides, a nu- 
merous retinue of guides and muleteers. This is the 
only mode of travelling in this country, for the roads 
are mere footpaths that wind among rocks and along 
precipices, where it would be impossible for carriages 
to pass. We were well armed with pistols, swords, 
and dirks, to guard against the attacks of banditti; 
of which the island is said to be full. 



84 LIFE AND LETTERS 

About two o'clock of the second day they ar- 
rived at Catania. The letter proceeds : — 

Our stay in Catania was rendered extremely 
agreeable by the attentions of the Chevalier Lando- 
lini, a knight of Malta, to whom we had brought 
k'tters. He inti'oduced us to several of the nobility, 
by whom we were received with great politeness and 
attention, and invited to all the parties that took 
place during our stay. The situation of Catania is 
very beautiful ; behind it the mountain rears its 
awful head, vomiting smoke, and often enveloped in 
clouds ; in front is the ocean forming a vast bay, and 
to the right is the extensive plain of Catania with 
the river Giuretta wandering through it. We as- 
cended about half way up the mountain, but were 
prevented from attaining the summit by the vast 
quantity of snow in which it was enveloped. No 
guide would venture up it, and the attempt we were 
told would be hazardous in the extreme, and certain 
ly fruitless. We mounted to the top of several of 
the small mountains thrown up on the sides of the 
great one by different eruptions, particularly Monte 
Rosso (red mountain), from which issued the last 
stream of lava that destroyed Catania. The view 
from hence was superb, and almost unbounded, and 
we could trace the enormous flood of lava till it lost 
itself in the sea, about ten miles distant. 

. At Catania our company divided. Wynn 
and Wadsworth returned to Syracuse, and Ca[)tain 
Hall and myself set out to cross the island to Paler- 
mo. We were mounted as before on mules, armed 
ourselves well with pistols and swords, and had a 
servant with us, a courageous fellow, with at least 
Ualf a dozen pistols stuck in his pockets and girdle. 

I give a few reminiscences of this part of his 
tour, gathered from the lips of Mr. Irving. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 85 

The evening after their departure from Cata- 
nia, for lack of better accommodations, they were, 
forced to accept an offer to sleep in a chapel, 
much to the discomfort of their servant Louis, 
who, though willing to submit to any privation, 
professed that he did not quite fancy " le bon 
Dieu"for"a Maitre d' Hotel." The next day, 
at dusk, they reached the village of Guadarara, 
consisting of a few wretched cabins. The mule- 
teer stopped at a solitary house, where he told 
them they must pass the night. It was the only 
inn in the place, but the landlord was absent, and 
it was without master or mistress, or attendant of 
any kind. They did not at all like tlie looks of 
the house or the jjlace ; everything had an ap- 
pearance the most deplorable and forlorn. Their 
sleeping room was a long dismal-looking apart- 
ment, to the door of which the ascent was by 
outside stairs, and underneath it was a shed for 
horses. It was almost bare of furniture. In one 
part were a few chairs, and in the corner furthest 
from the door was a large mattress which a man 
from the village had brought for the night, and 
spreading a blanket over it, had left. They pur- 
chased some fowls from the village, which Louis 
cooked for supper ; and after a tolerably comfort- 
able meal they fastened the door as securely as 
possible, and prepared to retire for the night. 
There was a small room near the door in which 
the servant slept. Hall chose the mattress in the 
further corner of the room, nothing daunted by 
the swarming fleas which had driven his com- 
panion from it on tui'ning down the blanket; 



B6 LIFE AND LEI TERS 

while the latter spread a mattress brought wjth 
them on some chairs near tiie door, and wrapped 
hi his great coat, and with his pistols and port- 
manteau under his head, prepared to resign him- 
self to sleep. He was far, however, from feeling 
at ease in his forlorn lodgings ; the wild and soli- 
tary situation of the house, the abject poverty of 
the inhabitants, combined with the constant ru- 
mors of robbers, were enough to produce dis- 
agreeable sensations. In spite, however, of his 
uneasy reflections, he soon fell asleep. It was 
not long before he was awakened by Louis calling 
in Italian, "Who's there?" Mr. Irving asked 
him what was the matter, and he answered that 
he heard some one at the door. The latter laid 
his hand on his pistol, prepared to fire if the door 
opened. He heard nothing, however, and telling 
Louis his imagination had been playing him a 
trick, soon fell asleep again. Again, however, 
was he roused by the sudden, sharp cry of Louis, 
•' Who's there ? " and on listening, he now heard 
with painful distinctness a sound as of some one 
slyly attempting the door. Louis could endure 
the suspense no longer, but resolved to confront 
the danger at once, and in a few brief words 
whispered his determination to get to the door, 
and throw it suddenly open, hoping the surprise 
might frighten the intruders, or thinking that at 
all events they could be better kept at bay on the 
stairs, where one could be encountered at a time. 
Mr. Irving assented to the plan, and grasping a 
pistol firmly in each hand, stood ready for the 
fray. Louis seized his dirk, and groping his way 



OF WASHINGTON TRYING. 87 

•vith a light tread to the door, threw it suddeiily 
open, and in bolted — a half-starved and inofFen- 
Bive dog. The denouement was prosaic enough. 
The poor animal had been attracted by the smell 
of some bones which had fallen from the supper- 
table just inside of the door, and was trying in 
vain to reach them with his paws under the crev- 
ice. The feeling of relief which f(jllowed this 
discovery may readily be imagined. Mr. Irving 
had a hearty laugh at the adventure, and soon fell 
again into a sound sleep, from which he awoke 
the next morning, as he said to me, " perfectly 
satisfied to be neither robbed nor murdered." 

Two days more brought them again to the sea- 
side, and they pursued the road along the coast 
to Termini, a town of some three thousand inhab- 
itants, delightfully situated on the side of a hill, 
and commanding from its higher parts a fine view 
of the Mediterranean and of the Sicilian coasts. 
Here they arrived after dark. Irving was much 
fatigued, and on reaching the inn, threw himself 
on a bed in a corner of the large room into 
which they were shown, and fell asleep. He was 
roused from his slumber by the sound of voices 
in conversation at the other end of the apartment, 
and listening, perceived the language was Eng- 
lish. Hall, observing that he was awake, imme- 
diately turned to him, and told him there was to 
be a ball that evening, it being the season of the 
carnival, and that the gentleman with whom he 
was conversing, and who was in mask of a 
Turk, had promised them admittance ; and being 



38 LIFE AND LETTERS 

ever ready for a frolic, he proposed that they 
should go. His fellow-traveller made some demur 
on the score of fatigue, and the trouble of un- 
packing his trunk to dress, but finally consented 
to appear in one of Hall's uniform coats, as a 
Captain of Marines. The stranger then took 
leave, promising to return after supper, and con- 
duct them to the place. At the appointed hour 
he came, dressed as a Turk, and masked as be- 
fore, and the two set out with him, supposing they 
were going to a public entertainment. They 
were somewhat staggered, however, when they 
found themselves ascending the stairs of a stately 
mansion, through rows of servants in livery, and 
a brilliant array of lights, and the feeling was not 
dissipated when they were ushered into a spa- 
cious saloon adorned with taste and magnificence ; 
and casting a startled glance upon the numerous 
company, they saw in their conductor the only 
mask in the room. Before they had recovered 
jfrom their surprise, the Turk marshaled them 
to the part of the saloon where stood the master 
of the entertainment and his daughters, in wait- 
ing to receive their guests. Pointing to his com- 
panions as they drew near, then crossing his arms 
and making a low salaam, without a word of <» 
^)lanation or introduction, he stood as mute as 
jiatue. It was an awkward situation for the twt 
quests, and the idea flashed across their minds that 
they had been decoyed into what could not but 
seem a graceless intrusion upon the hospitality of 
a stranger. With much confusion, therefore, and 
in the best Italian he cotdd muster, Mr. Irvmg' 



■OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 89 

announced their names, and attempted an expla- 
nation of the apparent indecorum, by stating 
their impression that they were coining t(^ a pub- 
lic entertainment. Their host replied very <2;ra- 
ciously, that they were at the house of the Baron 
Palmeria, and asked the name of their conductor. 
Here was a new embarrassment, for they could 
not give it. " Whoever lie is," he rejoined, " I 
am indebted to him for introducing to my house 
gentlemen whose uniform is a sufficient passport 
anywhere." Upon this the Turk whispered a 
rapid explanation of his interview with the 
strangers, and the Baron, turning to tliem with 
a smile, informed them that their unknown con- 
ductor was a teacher in his family, who was en- 
gaged in instructing his daughters in English. 
Confiding in the general popularity of strangers 
in Sicily, and the special attraction to his pupils 
of two who could converse with them in the lan- 
guage they were acquirmg, it turned out that he 
had assumed the responsibility of contriving what 
he had little doubt would prove lo both parties 
an agreeable surprise. Renewing his welcome 
with genuine hospitality, the Baron now com- 
menced a conversation with the spurious captain, 
in the midst of which the foldinor-doors were sud- 
denly thrown open, and a corps de ballet made 
its appearance to commence the ball. After this 
the rest of the company prepared to join in tho 
dance ; the two strangers, on being urged, ex- 
cused themselves on the plea of ignorance of tho 
figures. Perceiving, however, the dance to be a 
sountry dance with which they were familiar, thej 



90 LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 

were induced to change their minds, and Mr 
Irving having been introduced to a daughter of 
the Baron, and his companion to one of the belles 
of the place, they soon entered with zest into the 
spirit of the scene. Other dances followed in 
which they took part, and before they had huished 
the evening, their spirits had risen to so high a 
point, and tliey abandoned themselves with so lit- 
tle constraint to the animation of the scene, that 
they heard a Sicilian whisper, as they raced by 
him in the d mce, Son diavoli! 

When the assembly broke up, the master of 
the house expressed great regret at parting with 
them, and pre-sed them to remain some days at 
Termini, tendering them the hospitality of his 
own mansion, and offering to send for an Ameri- 
can iti Palermo to keep them company. This 
was Mr. Nathaniel Amory, of Boston, whose 
brother was an officer in the fleet, and to whom 
the author had a letter of introduction. The in- 
vitation, however, was declined. The Baron then 
dispatched a servant with them, with torches to 
light them to their lodgings, and bade them fare- 
well. 

There was a strangeness and a spice of ro- 
mance about this adventure that gave it a wonder- 
ful zest to the young traveller, and separated it 
m his after recollections from all his commonplace 
experiences. Twenty years later he records in 
his note-book a meeting with a cousin of hig 
" chance acquaintance, the Baron Palmeria." 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Palermo. — Passage to Naples. — Ascent of Vesuvius. — Fare- 
well to Naples. — Rome, — Allston the Painter. — Proposes 
to Irving to try the Brush. — Suspense of the Latter. — 
Torlonia the Banker. — His Flattering Attentions. — Its 
Ludicrous Solution. — Baron Von Humboldt. — Madame 
De Stael. 




COPY from a letter to his brother Wil- 
liam, dated Rome, April 4, 1805. 

We arrived at Palermo about the 24th of 
February, and passed several days there very agreea- 
bly. We had brought letters to Mr. Gibbs, American 
agent there, and to the Princess Camporeale from 
her sister at Catania. We, therefore, soon found 
acquaintance among the nobility ; and as it was the 
latter part of carnival, the gayest season of the year, 
our time was completely occupied by amusements. 
As the time for my departure from Palermo ap- 
proached, I began to feel extremely uneasy. The 
packet that sails constantly between that city and 
Naples, and is always well armed, was unfortunately 
undergoing repairs at Naples. No alternative offered 
than to venture across in one of the small vessels, 
that carry fruit to the continent. Reports were in 
circulation of two or three Tripolitan cruisers hover- 
ing about the Italian coast, and that they had taken 
two American ships ; besides these the Sicilian ves- 
sels are subject ti capture from the cruisers of every 
Barbary power. 



92 LIFE AND LETTERS 

He determines to risk the fruit boat, which 
started after dark, as was usual, to escape any 
lurking cruiser near the land, and in the morning 
was almost out of sight of Sicily, when the wind 
turned ahead, and the captain, without more ada 
put back to a small bay, about ten miles from 
Palermo, where he remained two days waiting foi 
a favorable wind. 

All "that time (the letter continues) I passed on 
shore in a wretched hovel, where I had scarce any- 
thing to eat, and where I had to sleep in my clothes 
and great coat at night, for want of other covering. 
After these two days of suffering, we made out to get 
to Palermo. There I passed another day of un- 
easiness of mind till a favorable wind sprung up. 
We hoisted sail and weighed anchor at night ; the 
next morning we were out of sight of Sicily, had a 
fine run all day, and in the course of the next night 
entered the bay of Naples, where, to my great com- 
fort, I saw the flaming sununit of Vesuvius, which 
was a joyful token that we were out of danger. I 
have been several times congratulated on my good 
fortune, for three or four days after two Neapolitan 
vessels were taken by Barbary cruisers, as they were 
crossing from Sicily. [His travelling notes give a 
little more minuteness to the picture.] I had lain 
down (he says) on deck and fallen asleep, and on 
waking after dark, the first thing that struck my e\es 
was Mount Vesuvius afar off making a most lumi- 
nous appearance. It has been in a state of eruption 
for several months. I could plainly perceive the red- 
hot lava running out of one side of the crater, and 
flashes at intervals from its mouth. I was up the 
greater part of the night, contemplating this inter- 
esting object. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 93 

March 7. -^- This morning early I arose, and found 
that Tve were within the Bay of Naples. Mount 
Vesuvius still continued luminous ; by degrees the 
day broke ; the objects were gradually lighted up. 
I remained earnestly gazing around, endeavoring to 
trace places that I had often read descriptions of. 
At lensxth the heavens were bi-illiantlv illuminated. 
The sun appeared diffusing the richest rays among 
the clouds, and gilding every feature of the prospect. 
Then it was that I had a full view of this lovely bay : 
the classic retreats of Baias, Pozzuoli, the superb city 
of Naples, the delightful towns of Portici, etc., that 
skirt the Mount Vesuvius ; the mountain itself emit- 
ting an immense column of smoke, with the coast 
that terminates the bay beyond the mountain, afford- 
ing the most picturesque scenery. The view of 
Naples from the sea is truly magnificent and impos- 
ing. 

His stay at Naples was rendered particularly 
agrc eable by the acquaintance- of Mr. Joseph C. 
Cabell and Colonel John Mercer, " two gentlemen 
of Virginia, of superior talents and information." 
The hiiter was one of the Commissioners of 
Claims sent out to France. " We examined all 
the curiosities of the place together," he writes, 
" and mounted Vesuvius at night, when we had a 
tremendous view of the crater, a stream of red- 
hot lava, etc. We approached near enough to 
the latter to thrust our sticks into it." 

The journal gives a full account of this night 
ascent, but I will not fatigue the reader with the 
description of a scene so familiar. I give (mly 
this little item of personal experience : — 

We were toiling up the crater, nearly in a parol- 



94 LIFE AND LETTERS 

lei line with this object [a liilloek in the lava, out of 
which sulphurous flames issued with a violent hissing 
noise], when the wind set directly from it and over- 
whelmed us with dense torrents of the most noxious 
smoke. I endeavored to hold my breath as long as 
possible, in hopes another flaw of wind would carry 
it off, but at length I was obliged to draw it in, and 
inhale a draught of the poisonous vapor that almost 
overcame me. Fortunately for us the wind shifted, 
or I sincerely believe that in a little time we should 
have shared the fate of Pliny, and died the martyrs 
of imprudent curiosity. Col. Mercer, as soon as 
he saw the smoke coming, turned about and made 
a precipitate retreat, and did not make a second at- 
tempt to ascend the crater. As to Cabell and my- 
self, we were so exhausted and bewildered that we 
could not stir from the spot, but should have fallen a 
certain sacrifice. 

On the 24th of March, Irving and Cabell bade 
adieu to Naple*. Colonel Mejcer had sailed a 
few days before for Marseilles. " I liave been in 
no city," says the journal, "where tlie population 
is so crowded and the bustle so great as at Naples, 
and I shall be heartily glad to bid it adieu, and 
repose myself in the silent retreats of Rome." 
If all was hurry and bustle at Naples, he had 
ample time for reverie and reflection on the road. 
'' There is no country," he writes, " where the 
prospects so much interest my mind, and awaken 
such a variety of ideas as in Italy- Every moun- 
tain, every valley, every plain, tells some striking 

story I am lost in astonishment at the 

magnificence of their works, at their sublime 
ideas of architecture, and their enormous public 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 95 

nndertakings." At half-past one o'clock on the 
27th they entered Rome by the Lateran gate, " and 
we made our way," says the journal, 

" * 'Mid fanes, and wrecks, and tumbling towers,' 

to our hotel, which is situated in the modern part. 
To describe the emotions of the mind and the crowd 
of ideas that arise on entering this ' mistress of the 
world,' is impossible ; all is confusion and agitation. 
The eye roves rapidly from side to side, eager to 
grasp every object, but continually diverted by some 
new scene ; all is wonder, restlessness, unsatisfied 
curiosity, eagerness, and impatience. 

" On arriving at the hotel we determined to rest 
ourselves for the day, collect our scattered ideas, and 
prepare to examine things deliberately and satisfac- 
torily. We heard that there were three American 
gentlemen at Rome on their travels, namely, Mr. 
Allston of Carolina, Mr. Wells of Boston, and Mr. 
Maxwell. As Mr. Cabell was acquainted with two 
of them we called on them. Mr. Allston only was 
at home. He is a young gentleman of much taste 
and a good education. He has adopted the profes- 
sion of painter through Inclination, and intends to 
remain in Rome two years to improve himself in the 
art." 

Such is the brief allusion to his first meeting 
with our distinguished painter, Washington All- 
ston, then unknown to fame. Allston was about 
three years his senior. In a few evenings he re- 
turned the call, and his society is pronounced to 
be " peculiarly agreeable." In more mature 
years he writes : " I do not think I have ever 
been more completely captivated on a first ac- 



96 LIFE AND LETTERS 

quaintance. He was of a liglit and gracefiil 
form, with large blue eyes and black silken hair, 
waving and curling round a pale, expressive 
countenance. Everything about him bespoke 
the man of intellect and refinement. His con- 
versation was copious, animated, and highly 
graphic, warmed by a genial sensibility and benev- 
olence, and enlivened by a chaste and gentle 
humor." 

The third of April (Irving's birthday) was 
spent by him and Allston in visiting a variety of 
paintings. " We visited together," says the 
former, in a communication to Duyckinck's 
" Cyclopedia of American Literature," " some of 
the finest collections of paintings, and he taught 
me liow to visit them to the most advantage, 
guiding me always to the masterpieces, and pass- 
ing by the others without notice. ' Never at- 
tempt to enjoy every picture in a great collection,' 
he would say, ' unless you have a year to bestow 
upon it. You may as well attempt to enjoy every 
dish in a loid mayor's feast. Both mind and 
palate get confounded by a great variety and 
lapid succession, even of delicacies. The mind 
can only take in a certain number of images 
and impressions distinctly : by multiplying the 
number you weaken each and render the whole 
confused and vague. Study the choice pieces in 
each collection ; look upon none else, and you 
will afterwards find them hanging up in your 
memory/ " 

I give a further extract from the communica- 
tion here -juoted, which brings the author before 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 97 

US seriously revolving a project of remaining at 
Rome and becoming a painter. 

We had delightful rambles together about Rome 
and its environs, one of which came near changing 
my whole course of life. We had been visiting a 
stately villa, with its gallery of paintings, its marble 
halls, its terraced gardens set out with statues and 
fountains, and were returning to Rome about sunset. 
The blandness of the air, the serenity of the sky, the 
transparent purity of the atmosphere, and that name- 
less charm which hangs about an Italian landscape, 
had derived additional effect from being enjoyed in 
company with Allston, and pointed out by him with 
the enthusiasm of an artist. As I listened to him, 
and gazed upon the landscape, I drew in my mind a 
contrast between our different pursuits and prospects. 
He was to reside aniong these delightful scenes, sur- 
rounded by masterpieces of art, by classic and his- 
toric monuments, by men of congenial minds and 
tastes, engaged like him in the constant study of the 
sublime and beautiful, I was to return home to the 
dry study of the law, for which I had no relish, and, 
as I feared, little talent. 

Suddenly the thought presented itself, — " Why 
might I not remain here, and turn painter." I had 
taken lessons in drawing before leaving America, and 
had been thought to have some aptness, as I certainly 
had a strong inclination for it. I mentioned the idea 
to Allston, and he caught at it with Ccigerness. 
Nothing could be more feasible. We would take an 
apartment together. He would give me all the in- 
struction and assistance in his power, and was sure I 
would succeed. 

For two or three days the idea took full posses- 
sion of rax mind, but I believe it owed its main force 

VOL. I. 7 



98 LIFE AND LETTERS 

to the lovely evening ramble in which I first con- 
ceived it, and to the romantic friendship I had formed 
vs^ith Allston. Whenever it recurred to mind, it 
was always connected with beautiful Italian scenery, 
palaces and statues and fountains and terraced gar- 
dens, and Allston as the companion of my studio. I 
promised myself a world of enjoyment In his society, 
and in the society of several artists with whom he 
had made me acquainted, and pictured forth a scheme 
of life all tinted with the rainbow hues of youthful 
promise. 

My lot in life, however, was differently cast. 
Doubts and fears gradually clouded over my pros- 
pect ; the rainbow tints faded away ; I began to ap- 
prehend a sterile reality, so I gave up the transient 
but delightful prospect of remaining in Rome with 
Allston, and turning painter. 

Whether he had any peculiar gifts for such a 
vocation, I am unable to say ; but he once re- 
marked to me that he thought he might have suc- 
ceeded in landscape painting, for which he had a 
great passion. One qualification he certainly 
possessed, an eye for color ; and no painting 
could long please him, vrhatever might be its 
other merits, if its tints weie cold and raw. " I 
should get the rheumatism," said he once to 
Leslie, " if I were compelled to live in a room 
surrounded with such landscapes." 

Mr. Irving had brought a letter to Torlonia, 
the banker, which his travelling companion ad- 
vised him not to deliver. " It will procure you 
DO attention," said he. " I have been here before 
and have tried it." His reception, however, was 
very fla^'.tering. He gave him a general invitation 



OF WASHINGTON IRVNG. 99 

to conversaziones, that were held twice a week at 
his house, offered to introduce him to a conver- 
sazione of nobility on the following night, and 
through his stay continued to treat him with 
marked politeness and civility, to the no small 
surprise of Cabell, who was at a loss to account 
for the difference. Irving jocularly ascribed it to 
the superior discrimination of Torlonia. The 
joke was turned, however, when he came to make 
his adieus, and Torlonia, calling him aside, said, 
" Dites moi, Monsieur, etes vous parent de Gen- 
eral Washington ? " [Tell me, sir, are you a 
kinsman of General Washington ?] It was to 
the name of " Washidgton " and the supposed re- 
lationship it indicated to him that he was indebted 
for his extra attention. 

As a set-off to this, I may mention an anec- 
dote of a conversation overheard by Carter, au- 
thor of " Letters from Europe," and by liim com- 
municated to an intelligent female friend, who 
told it to me. Not long after Mr. Irving had at- 
tained celebrity in Great Britain by his writings, 
an English lady and her daughter were passing 
along some gallery in Italy and paused before a 
bust of Wasliin<>;ton. After orazinoj at it for a 
few moments, the daughter turned to her mother 
with the question : " Mother, who was Washing- 
ton ? " " Why, my dear, don't you know ? " was 
the reply, "■ he wrote the ' Sketch Book.' " 

The journal records that he was present the 
evening of April 7th, " at a crowded assembly 
that filled four rooms, consisting of the first no- 



100 LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 

bility of Rome, and several foreigners of distinc- 
tion." 

In this converzatione he accompanied the 
Barou de Humboldt, Minister of Prussia to the 
Court of Rome, and brother of the celebrated 
traveller, to whom he had brought a letter of in- 
troduction from Naples. On a previous evening, 
at the house of this gentleman, he had met Ma- 
dame de Stael. The literary reputation of this 
gifted woman had not yet reached the heiglit to 
which it was carried by the publication of her 
"Corinne" (in 1807), and " Delphine " was the 
only one of her productions which Mr. Irving 
had then read. "We found tliere," says he, in 
recording the visit, " Madame de Stael, the cele- 
brated authoress of " Delphine." She is a 
woman of great strength of mind and under- 
standing, by all accounts. We were in company 
with her but a few minutes." He afterwards 
dined with her at the table of the minister, and 
would seem, by what he once stateil to me, to 
have been somewhat astounded at the amazing 
flow of her conversation, and the question upon 
question with which she plied him. 




CHAPTER IX. 

From Rome to Paris. — Milan. — Increasing Fondness for 
Opera. — Arrival in Paris. — Journal relinquished. — 
Vanderlyn. — Extract of Letter to Peter. — From Paris 
to London. — Kemble. — Cooke. — Siddons. — Anecdote of 

Geoffrey Crayon and Mrs. Siddons. — Nelson's Victory. 

Passage Home. 

f-. FTER remaining in Rome long enough 
to witness the ceremonies of the Holy 
Week, which were rendered less impos- 
ing than usual by the absence of the Pope, the 
young traveller proceeded on his journey, ac- 
companied by Mr. Cabell. 

As the two fellow-travellers drew near to Bo- 
logna, they found the road thronged with French 
solcHers on their M^ay to Castiglione, to form a 
camp for the purpose of celebrating the ap- 
proaching coionation of Bonaparte as king of 
Lombardy. " Each had his knapsack on his 
back, his gun on his shoulder, and a loaf of 
brown bread slung on one side, and was trudging 
along through mud and mire, with all the cheer- 
fulness and How of spirits of a Frenchman." 

They arrived at Bologna about sunset, and put 
up at the Albergo del Pelegrino, " glad," says the 
journal, " to be emancipated from the miserable 
carriage in which we had been jolted along for nine 



102 LIFE AND LETTERS ^ 

flays successively." They lingered a few days in 
Bologna, and then set out for Milan, after some 
difficulty in getting their passports signed, orders 
having been issued enjoining the greatest strict- 
ness in respect to passports, in consequence of 
the approaching coronation. They reached IMilan 
by way of Modena, Parma, Piacenza, and Lodi. 
Between this last place and Milan the country was 
very much infested with robbers, and they were 
cautioned against travelling either before sunrise 
or after dark. They had suthcient proof that 
the caution was well founded, in the number of 
crosses they passed nailed to trees, to mark the 
spot where travellers had been robbed and mur- 
dered. '• In one place five crosses were nailed 
on one tree, in another place two." The road, 
however, was rendered perfectly safe at the time 
they passed by the number of peasants going to 
their labor in the fields. 

They arrived at Milan on the 29th of April, and 
remained three days, but they were so fatigued in 
body, and their imaginations were so sated with 
the profusion of masterpieces they had seen, that 
they could not prevail upon themselves to visit 
any of the productions of art to be found in this 
city. It was a sad disappointment to them, how- 
ever, not to be admitted to a sight of the inside 
of the famous cathedral, which was being fitted 
up for the approaching coronation, and none but 
the numerous workmen employed upon it were 
allowed to enter. 

If Mr. Irving's admiration of the paintings 
and sculpture of Italy had become somewhat 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 103 

sated, his fondness for its music would seem to 
have grown by what it fed on. When he first 
attended one of its operas, he had been inclined 
to think the frantic bravos and bravissimos with 
which the Italians gave vent to their feelings " a 
ridiculous affectation. I allowed the Italians," 
he says, " the highest musical disposition, but 
thought they carried their applause beyond their 
real approbation. In a little while, however, by 
frequenting the operas and accustoming myself 
to the novelty of their music, I began to find a 
fondness for it stealing on myself, and I now 
hurry to an opera with as much eagerness as an 
Italian." This was a passion which knew no de- 
cline ; throughout life he was devotedly fond of 
this entertainment. 

They left Milan on the 2d of May, and the 
same day arrived at the little village of Sesto, 
where they procured a bark to transport them 
across the Lago Maggiore to Magadino at the 
other end. The remainder of their journey, 
upon which I cannot detain the reader, lay over 
Mount St. Gothard to Altorf, fi'om Altorf along 
tiie Lake of the four Cantons to Lucerne, from 
Lucerne to Zurich, from Zurich to Basle, and 
from Basle through Franche Comte, Alsace, 
and Champagne to Paris, which they reached on 
the 24th of May. 

The distant view of this capital, when they 
first came in sight, was very fine. " To us," says 
«he journal, " it was a most interesting sight, 
»nd, like mariners after a long voyage, we hailed 
with joy our hav 3n of repose." 



104 LIFE AND LETTERS 

His residence at Paris extended thrcugh four 
months, during which time he kept no journal, 
and would seem, also, from the few letters that 
remain, to have remitted his usual punctuality to 
the family. The only record he has left behind 
of his mode of life in the gay metropolis during 
this sojourn, consists of some brief and hasty 
memoranda, continued through a few weeks, which 
I give in part below. 

May lUh. — Arrived in Paris this afternoon. Put 
up at the Hotel de PJchelieu, Rue de la loi. 

2bth. — Had a levee of tailors, shirt-makers, boot- 
makers, etc., to rig me out a la mode de Paris 

In the evenino; went to the Theatre Montansier in 
the Palais Royal. Acting humorous and rather 
gross ; scenery tolerable. After theatre took a stroll 
in the garden of the Palais Royal ; accosted by ajille 
de joie, who begged me to purchase a bouquet for 
her. I saw it was a mere scheme of the poor girl to 
get a few sous to buy herself some bread for the next 
day ; it Avas evident she and the old woman who sold 
bouquets acted in concert. I pitied her, and paid 
double price for the bouquet. My head is as yet com- 
pletely confused with the noise and bustle of Paris. 

2dth. — Get my protection from the police. In the 
evening to the Theatre Frangais — Tragedy of the 
Templars — Talma, La Fond, and Mademoiselle 
Georges — Talma fine figure — great powers. 

31st. — 'Tended lectures on Botany — evening, 
opera — music sublime — costume and scenery fine 
and appropriate. 

June 2d. — Walking in the ga^rden of the Tuileries, 
encountered young French officer with whom I had 
travelled in diligence last summer from Bordeaux to 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 1C5 

roulouse. He had passed all the winter at hia 
mother's in Languedoc, and had come to Paris in 
hopes of getting a commission to go over to England in 
the flotilla — warm in praise cf the Emperor — said 
the army universally loved him, and would carry him 
even in their hands. 

The young officer here mentioned was the one 
whom the compassionate damsels of Tonneins 
besought to be kind to his prisoner. As the 
quondam prisoner was passing by without seeing 
him, he suddenly broke from a group of compan- 
ions, and rushing towards him, threw his arms 
around him and kissed him a la Fran9aise on 
both cheeks before he liad time to scan his fea- 
tures or know to whom he was indebted for such 
an affectionate salutation. 

Ath. — Left Hotel de Richelieu and took room the 
other side of the Seine. Hotel d'Angleterre, Rue de 
Colorabier Faubourg St. Martin, at 60 livres per 
month — room pleasantly situated on ground floor, 
well furnished, looks out on a handsome little garden 

— hotel genteel and extensive — in the neighborhood 
of Vanderlyn. 

Qth. — Dined with Vanderlyn at a Swiss restaura- 
teur's in Louvre — cheap. In evening went to little 
theatre of Jeunes Artistes — garden des Capuchins 

— boys acting plays — sing the fine airs that are 
produced at the great theatres. 

8/A. — Went with Vanderlyn to theatre of Fort 
St. Martin — built in thirty days in time of revolu- 
tion — intended for an opera — superb theatre. 

13^/i. — Went to a 15-sous ball in Palais Royal 
«rith Vanderlyn. 



106 LIFE AND LETTERS 

The following letter, among other particulars, 
makes further mention of Vanderlyn : — 

[To Peter Irving.'] 

Paris, July 15, 1805. 
My dear Brother : — 

In consequence of my acquaintance at 
the Minister's, I have the reading of all the Ameri- 
can papers which he receives, so that I have con- 
tinually opportunities of informing myself how matters 
go on at home I am very agreeably situa- 
ted in respect to lodgings. I have taken handsome 
apartments in company with Mr. Bankhead, late 
secretary to Mr. Monroe. They are in a genteel 
hotel in the Faubourg St. Germain, near the Seine. 
Though retired from the gay, noisy part of the city, 
we have but to cross the Pont des Arts, and we are 
immediately among the amusements. This part of 
Paris is tranquil and reasonable, and almost all the 
Americans of my acquaintance reside here. 

One of my most intimate acquaintances is Van- 
derlyn ; he lives in my neighborhood. By the bye, 
I wish you would interest yourself with the Academy 
about this worthy young fellow. He has been sent out 
here by the Academy to collect casts, etc., and has exe- 
cuted his commission with faithfulness, but he is ex- 
tremely in want of money. The Academy gave him 
a credit on Leghorn, in the name of Wm. M. Seton, 
but the death of that gentleman has rendered the let- 
ter useless. He has written repeatedly to the Acad- 
emy, but ha!^ received no answer. His object was 
to go on to Italy, and he has been detained here 
merely for want of the means. Mr. McClure, one of 
our commissioners, has generously patronized him, 
and advanced him money for the journey ; he will 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 107 

therefore set off iu about a fortnight. I trust the 
Academy will evince a spirit of generosity towards a 
young artist, whose talents and character do credit 
to our country. They are in a manner responsible, 
having already taken such marked notice of him. I 
beg you to attend to this request, and to write Van- 
derlyn word as soon as possible, of the disposition 
and intentions of the Academy towards him. The 
poor fellow seems to be quite low-spirited, and to 
think that the Academy has forgotten him ! 

By the papers I find that the Emperor is at Fon- 
tainebleau, having travelled incog, from Genoa to that 
place in eighty hours ! This is an instance of that 
promptness, decision, and rapidity that characterize 
his movements. You may well suppose I am im- 
patient to see this wonderful man, whose life has been 
a continued series of actions, any one of which would 
be sufficient to immortalize him. 

You expect, most probably, that I will say some- 
thing of Paris, but I must beg you to excuse me. I 
have neither time nor inclination to begin so endless a 
subject. I should be at a loss how to commence, and 
I am almost afraid to own that I have not taken a 
single note since I have been in this metropolis. 
This, however, I find to be the case with all my ac- 
quaintances, so that I plead for some degree of indul- 
gence on that score. The city is rapidly beautify- 
ing under the auspices of the Emperor ; the Louvre, 
Tuileries, etc., are undergoing alterations and repairs. 
The people seem all gay and happy, and vive la baga- 
telle ! is ao-ain the burden of their sono-. 

Of all the places that I have seen in Europe Paris 
IS the most fascinating, and I am well satisfied that for 
pleasure and amusement it must leave London far be- 
hind. The favorableness of the climate, the brilliancy 
of the theatres, operas, etc., the beauty of the public 



lOS LIFE ANT LETTERS 

walks, the gayety, good-Lumor, and universal polite- 
ness of the people, the perfect liberty of private con- 
duct, are calculated to enchant a stranger, and to 
fender him contented and happy with everything 
about him. You will smile to see that Paris has ob- 
tained complete possession of my head, but I assure 
you that America has still the stronghold of my 
heart. 

I am busily employed in studying the French lan- 
guage, and I hope before I leave France to have a 
pretty satisfactory acquaintance with it. I shall re- 
main in Paris as late in the fall as possible, as there 
is no place where I can both amuse and instruct my- 
self at less expense, and more effectually 

When you see Mr. Hoffman present him my warm- 
est remembrances, and tell him I long for the time when 
I shall be once more numbered among his disciples. 

You will excuse the shortness and hastiness of this 
letter, for which I can only plead as an excuse that I 
am a young man and in Park. 

Your affectionate brother, 

W.I. 

In what proportion the '' young man in Paris " 
managed to combine amusement and instruction, 
pleasure and study, it would not be easy to deter- 
mine. That he did not make complete default 
in his plans of improvement may be inferred 
from some entries in his expense book, by which 
I find he paid for two months' tuition in French, 
and bought a Botanical Dictionary. In the 
same memorandum book, under date of August 
12th, occurs an entry of payment to " Vanderlyn 
for Portrait." This was a crayon sketch taken 
of him by the painter, and represents his hair a^ 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 109 

falling over his forehead, a peculiarity not ob- 
servable in any later likenesses. 

The letter which follows will enable us to ac- 
company him to London. 

[To Peter Irving.'] 

London, October 20, 1805. 

AIy dear Brother : 

By the date of this letter, you will perceive that I 
pm safely arrived in the land of our forefathers, and 
have become an inhabitant of the famous and foggy 
city of London. Thus you see I shift from city to 
city, and lay countries aside like books, after giving 
them a hasty perusal. Thank heaven my ramblings 
are nearly at an end, and in a little while I shall 
once more return to my friends, and sink again into 
tranquil domestic life I It may seem strange to you, 
who have never wandered far from home, but I as- 
sure you it is true, that in a short time one gets 
tired of travelling, even in the gay and polished 
countries of Europe. Curiosity cannot be kept ever 
on the stretch : like the sensual appetites it in time 
becomes sated, and no longer enjoys the food it for- 
merly searched after with avidity. On entering a 
strange place at present, I feel no more that interest 
which prompted me on first arriving in Europe to be 
perpetually on the hunt for curiosities and beauties. 
In fact, the duty imposed upon me as a traveller to 
do so, is often irksom-e. 

On arriving at Naples, I became acquainted with 
an American gentleman of talents, who had made 
the tour of Italy. I was much diverted with the 
manner in which he addressed his valet de place one 
morning, as we were going out in search of curiosities. 
'* Now, my friend," said he, " recollect, I am tired of 



110 LIFE AND LETTERS 

churches, convents, palaces, galleries of paintings, 
subterraneous passages, and great men — if you liJive 
anything else to show me, allons ! " At present I 
could almost feel inclined to make a similar speech 
myself. I own, notwithstanding, that London is ex- 
tremely interesting to me, as it offers both in build- 
ings and inhabitants such a contrast to the cities on 
the continent, and then it is so completely familiar- 
ized to me from having heard and read so nmch 
about it since my infancy, that every square, street, 
and lane appears like an old acquaintance. 

I left Paris on the 22d September, in company 
with Mr. Gorham of Boston, and Mr. Massie of Vir- 
ginia, and after a pleasing tour through the Nether- 
lands, by the way of Brussels and Macstricht, we ar- 
rived at Rotterdam on the thirtieth. We had made a 
stop of two days at Brussels, which is one of the most 
beautiful cities I have seen in Europe. We stayed 
another day at Maestricht, in order to visit a remark- 
able cavern in its neighborhood, but I will not fatigue 
you with a description of it. I was much interested 
by the change that I continually observed as I pro- 
ceeded from the carelessly cultivated plains of France 
to those of the Netherlands, where the hand of labor 
appears to be never idle in the improvement of the 
soil ; from the dirty, comfortless habitations of the 
French peasantry, to those of Holland, where clean- 
liness is almost a vice : in fine, from the light skip 
and gay, thoughtless air of the Frenchman, to the 
heavy tread and phlegmatic features of the Dutch- 
man. How astonishing is it that a trifling space — 
a mere ideal line — should occasion such vast differ- 
ence between two nations, that neither the people, 
houses, manners, language, tastes, should resemble 
each other. The Italian and the Turk are more 
similar than the Parisian and the Hollander. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. Ill 

I had intended making a hasty tour in Holland, 
but on arriving at Rotterdam, I found an excellent 
packet about sailing for Gravesend. The passing 
and repassing of these packets is connived at by the 
French general who commands at Rotterdam, as he 
pockets a part of the passage money of each pas- 
senger. The vessel clears out for Embden under 
the Prussian flag. On my arrival at Rotterdam, I 
heard a report that Prussia either had declared, or 
was about to declare in favor of FranQc, in conse- 
quence of which, the owners were fearful of sending 
any more packets to England under Prussian colors. 
As I dreaded any accidental detention in the phleg- 
matic cities of Holland, 1 determined on availing my- 
self of the packet that was about sailing, as did likewise 
my companions. Indeed, I did not regret much my 
not being able to see more of Holland, as the little I 
had already seen, I was told, was a faithful specimen 
of the rest — a monotonous uniformity prevailing 
over the whole country. 

Leaving, therefore, the gentle Mynheers to smoke 
their pipes in peace, w^e embarked on the evening of 
the third of October, and on the morning of the 
fourth sailed from the mouth of the Meuse. The 
next morning on turning out, I had the first glimpse 
of old England ; we were just opposite Margate, 
within four or five miles of the shore. We anchored 
the same evening in the Thames, opposite Graves- 
end. As we were direct from an enemy's country, 
we were not permitted to land till permits should 
arrive from the alien office at London. I did not 
receive mine till the morning of the eighth (suffer- 
ing a detention of three da^s,) when I went immedi- 
ately on shore, took a post chaise, and arrived in the 
afternoon at London. Such is a concise sketch of 
my journey 



112 LIFE AND LETTERS 

In this city, as in Paris, he was a frequent at- 
tendant upon the theatres, and his impressions of 
Jolin Kemble, Cooke, and Mrs. Siddons, are thus 
given in a letter to his brother William : — 

Kemble appears to me to be a very studied actor. 
His performances throughout evince deep study and 
application, joined to amazingly judicious conception. 
They are correct and highly-finished paintings, but 
much labored. Thus, therefore, when witnessing the 
exertion of his powers, though my head is satisfied 
and even astonished, yet my heart is seldom affected. 
I am not le<l away to forget that it is Kemble the ac- 
tor, not Othello the Moor. Once I must own, how- 
ever, I was completely overpowered by his acting. 
It was in the part of Zanga. He was great through- 
out, but his last scene with Alonzo was truly sub- 
lime. I then, in very truth, forgot that it was a mere' 
mimic scene before me — indeed Kemble seemed to 
have forgotten himself, and for the moment to have 
fancied himself Zanga. When the delusion ceased 
I was enraj)tured. I was surprised at what had been 
my emotions. I could not have believed that tragic 
representation could so far deceive the senses and 
the judgment. I felt willing to allow Kemble all 
the laurels that had been awarded him. The next 
time I saw him, however, I was less satisfied. It 
was in the character of Othello. . Here his perform- 
ance was very unequal. In many parts he was cold 
and labored ; in the tender scenes he wanted melluw- 
ness (I think him very often wanting in this 
quality) ; it was only in particular scenes that he 
seemed to collect all his powers, and exert them with 
effect. His speech to the Senate was lofty and ad- 
mirable ; indeed, in declamation he is excellent. 
The last time T saw him was in the part of Jaffier, 



OF WASHING TO?/ IRVING. 113 

and I again remarked that it was but in certain pas- 
sages that he was strikingly fine, though his correct 
and unceasing attention to the character was visible 
throughout. Kenible treads the stage with peculiar 
grace and dignity ; his figure is tall and imposing, 
much such an one as Fennell's. His countenance is 
noble and expressive; in a word, he has a most mi- 
jestic presence. I must not forget to observe that 
the Pierre to Kemble's Jaffier was acted by Mr. Har- 
grave, and a nolsij swaggering bidlij did he make of 
him, I would have given anything to have had 
Cooper or Fennell in the chai-acter ; so you see a 
principal character may be miserably performed even 
on a London stage. Kemble's grand d'sadvantage is 
his voice ; it wants the deep, rich, bass tones, and 
has not sufficient extent. Constant exercise has 
doubtless done a vast deal for it, and given it a de- 
gree of flexibility and softness which it had not nat- 
urally. Some of its tones are touching and pathetic, 
but when violent exclamation is necessary, it is evi- 
dent from the movements of his head, and mouth, 
and chest, that he is obliged to use great exertions. 
This circumstance was at first a considerable draw- 
back on the pleasure I received from his perform- 
ances. I begin now to get reconciled to it, and not 
to notice it so much, which confirms me in the opin- 
ion I originally entertained that it is necessary to 
become in some degree accustomed to Kemble's man- 
ner before you can perfectly enjoy his acting. To 
give you, if possible, a fuller idea of my general opin- 
ion of Kemble, I shall only say that though at pres- 
ent I decidedly give him the preference, yet Avere 
Cooper to be equally studious and pay equal atten- 
tion to his profession, I would transfer it to him with- 
out hesitation. It would be a long time, however, 
before Cooper would be equally correct in his per- 

VOL I. 8 



114 LIFE AND LETTERS 

formauces. Perhaps he would never be so ; his style 
is different, and with a little correction, its warmth 
and richness would make up for the want of Kerable's 
correctness and precision. Actors are like painters 
— they seldom combine all these qualities, but excel 
in different styles. 

Cooke is the next to Kemble in the tragic depart- 
ment, or rather his equal, taking them in their dif- 
ferent lines, Cooke's range is rather confined ; the 
artful designing hypocrite is his forte ^ and in lago he 
is admirable. I never was more completely satisfied 
with a performance. His Richard, I am told, is 
equally good, but I have not seen > it. In Sir Per- 
tinax Mac Sycophant, also, he is everything that 
could be desired, and gives the Scotch accent with 
peculiar richness. Notwithstanding that he has dis- 
gusted the audience several times in consequence of 
his bacchanalian festivities, he is a vast favorite, and 
is always hailed with the warmest applause. Indeed, 
I am told he performs with peculiar spirit when in- 
s[)ired by the grape ; he must at any rate be mellow 
on such occasions. 

Were I to indulge without reserve in my praises 
of Mrs. Siddons, I am afraid you would think them 
hyperbolical. What a wonderful woman 1 The very 
first time I saw her perform I was struck with ad- 
miration. It was in the part of Calista. Her looks, 
her voice, her gestures, delighted me. She pene- 
trated in a moment to ray heart. She froze and 
melted it by turns ; a glance of her eye, a start, an 
exclamation, thrilled through my whole frame. The 
more I see her, the more I admire her. I hardlv 
breathe while she is on the stage. She works up my 
feelings till I am like a mere child. And yet this 
woman is old, and has lost all elegance of figure ; 
think then what must be her powers that she can de^ 



OF V/ASHINGTON IRVING 115 

light anJ apfonish even in the characters of Calista 
and Belvidera, In person Mrs. Siddons is not unlike 
her sister, Mrs. Whitlock, for she has latterly out- 
grown in size the limits even of embonpoint. I even 
think there is some similarity in their countenances, 
though that of Mrs. Siddons is infinitely superior. 
It is in fact the very index of her mind; and in its 
mutable transitions may be read those nice gradations 
of passion that language is inadequate to express. 
In dignity and grace she is no way inferior to Kem- 
ble, and they never appear to better advantage than 
when acting together. AVhat Mrs. Siddons may have 
been when she had the advantages of youth and form I 
cannot say, but it appears to me that her performance 
at present leaves room to wish for nothing more. Age 
has planted no visible wrinkles on her brow, and it is 
only by the practice and experience of years that 
she has been enabled to attain her present consum- 
mate excellence 

The enthusiasm here expressed for the great 
actress, leads tne to step aside from the regular 
order of events to give an anecdote of a later 
date, for w^hich I shall not find a more appropri- 
ate introduction. 

Not long after the " Sketch Book " bad been 
published in London, and made its author re- 
marked among its literary circles, he met Mrs. 
Siddons in some fashionable assemblage, and 
was brought up to be introduced. The Queen 
of Tragedy had then long left the stage, but her 
manner and tones to the last partook of its meas- 
ured stateliness. The interview was characteris- 
tic. As he approached and was introduced, she 
looked at him for a moment, and then, in her 



116 LIFE AND LETTERS 

clear and deep-toned voice, she slowly enunciated, 
" You've made me weep." Nothing could have 
been finer than such a compliment from such a 
source, but the "accost" was so abrupt, and the 
manner so peculiar, that never was modest man 
so completely disconcerted and put out of counte- 
nance. The ap])ropriate response would have 
been obvious enouoh at a more collected mo- 
ment, but taken entirely by surprise, Geoffrey 
had not a word to say for himself", and very soon 
took occasion to retreat and join a group of 
talkers that were near. After the appearance 
of his Bracebridge Hall he met her in company 
again, and was asked by a friend to be presented. 
He told him he had before gone through that 
ceremony, but he had been so abashed by her 
address, and acquitted himself so shabbily, that he 
was afraid to claim acquaintance. " Come then 
with me," said his friend, " and I will stand by 
you ; " so he went forward, and singularly enough 
was met with an address of the self same fashion : 
' You've made me weep again." But now he 
vvas prepared, and immediately replied with a 
complimentary allusion to the melting effect of 
her own pathos, as realized by himself at the 
period we have been tracing. 

In the following letter we have an allusion to 
Nelson's victory and death. The traveller was 
at the theatre when the thrilling tidings were an- 
nounced from the stagie, and was witness to the 
deep and mingled emotions with which it was 
received. 



I 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 117 

[To Peter Irving.'] 

London, November 7th, 1805. 

My dear Brother ; — 

By the papers you will perceive that England is all 
alive with the news of Nelson's victory. It could not 
have happened more opportunely, for the disastrous 
accounts from the continent had made poor John 
Bull quite heart-sick — nothing was heard from him 
but execrations of Mack's conduct as cowardly and 
treacherous, and desponding anticipations of the fu- 
ture. It is the prevalent opinion here that Mack has 
been bribed, and they are vociferous in their abuse 
both of him and his purchasers. 

Poor John, however, was so completely down- 
hearted and humble, that I began really to pity him, 
when suddenly the news of Nelson's triumph arrived, 
and the old fellow reared his broad rosy countenance 
higher than ever. To his honor, however, let me 
say, that I have universally remarked, that whenever 
speaking of the atlair, his first mention was of " poor 
Nelson's death " with a tribute of feelinor to his 
memory ; but John, as I have before testified, is a 
" kind-hearted old soul " at bottom. Notwithstand- 
ing the brilliancy of this victory and its importance 
at so alarming a crisis, yet I can scarcely say which 
is greatest, joy at its achievement, or sorrow for Nel- 
son's fall. Last evening tlie chief streets and build- 
ings were illuminated, but the illumination was not 
universal. The song of triumph is repressed — 
among the lowest of the mob I can hear Nelson's 
eulogium passed from mouth to mouth ; every one 
yields his voice to the national tribute of gratitude 
and affection. 

Mr. Irving had anticipated on his arrival in 
London a number of introductory letters from 



118 LIFE AND LETTERS 

home, that would have procured him an agree-^ 
able and advantageous acquaintance ; but these 
letters unfortunately miscarried, and the disap- 
pointment prevented him from fully enjoying 
the pleasures of a city, in which everything 
bore to him an air of business, and in which he 
had, for a while, to find his entertainment in 
rambling about the streets. The only letter 
which he brought with him was one from Mrs. 
Johnson of the Park theatre, to Miss De Camp 
of Covent Garden, which proved in the dearth 
of others a valuable resource. He had a mo.-t 
friendly reception from her, and I have heard 
him speak with interest of a dinner at her house, 
in which he met for the first time with Charles 
Kemble, whom she afterwacds married. 

Left still more solitary by the departure of his 
companions from Paris, the young traveller began 
to turn his thoughts towards home, without going 
to Scotland, as his brother had desired. As in 
Paris, so in London, he kept no journal, but it 
appears by a small memorandum book, among 
his papers, that he set out on the 14th of De- 
cember, on a short tour to Oxford, Bath, and 
Bristol, with a Mr. ^Mumford from New York, 
as a travelling companion ; and that the two 
left London, January 17th, in a post-chaise for 
Gravesend, where they embarked the next day in 
the ship Remittance, Captain Law, for New York. 
They had a stormy passage of sixty-four days, and 
for twenty-four hours were in imminent danger 
of going ashore in a snow-storm off Long Island. 
"The passengers," said Mr. Irving, in speaking 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 



119 



of this voyage, " cracked their jokes on each 
other in great good humor at first, while Mum- 
ford sat like an owl, and said nothing ; but, be- 
fore we landed, he became the greatest favorite 
of all. The familiarity of the others led to 
quarrels, and the jokes we had cracked on each 
ather soured on our stomachs." 




CHAPTER X. 

New York Society in 1806. — The Lads of Kilkenny. — 
The Old Hall at Newark. — City Resorts. — Admission 
to the Bar — Letter to Mr. Hoffman. 




HE traveller had felt a growing impa- 
tience to return home before he em- 
barked. 
" Already," he writes in one of his letters prior 
to his departure from Europe, " I begin to feel 
the truth of the line in Voltaire, — 

" ' II est doux de rentrer dans sa chere patrie.' " 

There was much to gladden his return. He 
came back with health renewed and invigorated. 
The reputation achieved by his scribblings before 
he left had made him an object of attention and 
civility, and at that " home-keeping " era to hav.e 
visited foreign parts was of itself quite a title to 
consideration. 

New York was a more '' handy " city in those 
days, to borrow a descriptive epithet of the au- 
thor, and offered much greater facility of inter- 
course. No man could hide his light under a 
bushel. Everybody knew everybody, and there 
was more of good fellowship and careless ease 
of manners than distinguish the social circles of 



LIFE AND LLTTEJtJ OF IRVING. 121 

either sex in these more formal times. The 
literati and men of wit and intellect entered more 
into society, and gave to it something of their 
own tune and character. If the dinners were 
less costly than now, they were more merry, and 
there was greater heartiness of enjoyment. Sing- 
ing — sentimental and bacchanalian — was quite 
a feature in the entertainment. Conviviality, 
however, it must be confessed, was sometime? 
pushed to an extreme; it was almost treason 
against good fellowship not to get tipsy, and the 
senseless custom of compelling guests to drink 
bumpers, not unfrequently laid many under the 
table who never would have been led willingly 
to such excess. 

Mr. Irving used to relate a piece of pleasantry 
of one of his early friends, Henry Ogden, illus- 
trative of this feature of the dinners of those 
times. Ogden had been at one of these festive 
meetings on the evening before, and had left with 
a brain half bewildered by the number of bump- 
ers he had been compelled to drink. He told 
Irving the next day that in going home he had 
fallen through a grating, which had been care- 
lessly left open, into a vault beneath. The soli- 
tude, he said, was rather dismal at first, but sev- 
eral other of the guests fell in, in the course of 
the evening, and they had on the whole quite a 
pleasant night of it. 

Among Mr. Irving's associates at this time, few 
of whom now survive, were Peter and Gouv- 
erneur Kemble, Henry Brevoort, Henry Ogden, 
just named, and James K. Paulding, who, with 



122 LIFE AND LETTERS 

himself, his brother Peter, and a few others, 
made up a small circle of intimates designated by 
Peter as " the nine worthies," though Washington 
in his correspondence more frequently alludes to 
tliem as " tiie lads of Kilkenny." 

One of their favorite resorts was an old family 
mansion — old, at least, according to the Amer- 
ican calendar of antiquity — which had descended 
to Gouverneur Kemble from a deceased uncle. 
It was on the banks of the Passaic, about a mile 
from Newark, and has been shadowed forth in 
" Salmas^undi " as Cockloft Hall. It wx^si full of 
antique furniture, and the walls vvLta adorned 
with old family portraits. The piactj was in 
charge of an old man, his wife, and a negro boy, 
who were its sole occupants except when " the 
nine," under the lea(i, and contident in the hos- 
pitality of tlie Patroon, as they styled its pos- 
sessor, would sally forth fiom New York and 
enliven its soUtude by their madcap pranks and 
juvenile orgies. " Who would have thought," 
said Mr. Irving to Gouverneur Kemble, in allud- 
ing to these scenes of high jollity, at the age of 
sixty-six, " that we should ever have lived to be 
two such respectable old gentlemen ! " 

Some of the letters preserved by Mr. Irving_ 
contain pleasant allusions to the Hall, and show 
how fondly this scene of youthful frolic was re- 
membered by the little circle in the separation 
of after years. " Cockloft Hall is still mine," 
writes Gouverneur Kemble to his long absent 
friend in 1824. " I still look forward to the 
time when you, Paulding, Brevoort, the Doctor, 



OF WASHINGTON IRVINC 123 

[Peter Irving], and myself shall assemble there, 
recount the stories of our various lives, and hav€ 
another game at leap frog." 

" Your mention of James Paulding and Gouv- 
erneur Kemble," writes Peter to him in 1832, 
" brings to my memory some of the pleasant 
scenes in the Hall near Newark, and among the 
rest the procession in the Chinese saloon, in which 
we made poor Dick McCall a knight, and I, as 
the senior of our order, dubbed him by some fa- 
tality on the seat of honor instead of the shouJ 
der." And in a still later letter he writes : " I 
often call to mind our Sundays at the Hall, when 
we sported on the lawn until fatigued, and some- 
times fell sociably into a general nap in the 
drawing-room in the dusk of the evening." 

One of the rendezvous of the little coterie in 
the city was Dyde's, a genteel public house in 
Park Row near the theatre, in which they held 
convivial suppers, and sometimes regaled their 
friends from Philadelphia, who, for the time, be- 
came " true lads of Kilkenny.'' 

" To riot at Dyde's on imperial champagne, 
And then scour our city — the peace to maintain," 

is a distinction of " Sad Dogs " in the rhymes 
of" Salmagundi." There was another place of less 
note and cheaper prices, a porter house at the 
corner of John Street and Nassau, to which they 
occasionally repaired for festivity and refreshment 
when their purses were low, and where they 
probably had equa merriment, though these en- 
tertainments they characterized with humorous 



124 LIFE AND LETTERS 

disparagement as their "blackguard suppers." 
Paulding lias an allusion to them in a letter to 
Washington of 1824, recalling old times, in which 
he indulges in whimsical lament over the degene- 
rate transformation which their host had since 
undeigone. " When I mentioned a jollification 
just now," he writes, " do you know that the 

word conjured up the idea of poor B . Alas 

for this topsy-turvy world ! He who whilom 
wore a long coat, in the pockets whereof he jin- 
gled two bushels of sixpenny pieces, and whose 
daughter played the piano to the savory accom- 
paniment of broiling oysters, hath sunk into a 
measurer of tape at the foot of Vesey Street." 

In July Mr. Irving concludes an epistle to his 
young friend, Henry Ogden, who had recently 
sailed for China, as follows : — 

I am so completely engrossed with law at present 
that I have no time to go about and pick up intelli- 
gence. Examination conies on in about three weeks, 
and I begin to feel the fever incident to occasions of 
the kind. I wish, while in Canton, you would pick 
me up two or three (jueer little pretty things, that 
would cost nothing, and be acceptable to the girls ; 
but above all, do not forget the Mandarin's dress. 
If you can conveniently, get two or three drawings 
of the most superlative tea put up in a little quizzi- 
cal box for me, and packed up with mighty care and 
importance. I will have some high fun with it. 

The Mandarin's dress and the tea evidently 
point to some whimsical project, but whether any 
*' high fun " came of it I cannot say, though there 
is a hint in his correspondence of Ogden's return^ 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 125 

" laden with the riches of the East, some of which 
wei'e intended for him," and of a suppei" at the 
Kembles which followed, " in ti'ue Chinese style, 
in which none were permitted to eat except with 
chopsticks." 

Thouo^h Mr. Irvinij wcmld seem to have been 
preparing for an examination in August by the 
preceding extract, he must have deferred it until 
the autumn, for it was on the 21st of November, 
180G, that he went through the ordeal and was 
admitted to the bar. The termination of his 
clerkship, however, found him still sadly deficient 
in legal lore. His studies, previous to his depart- 
ure for Europe, as we have seen, had amounted 
to little ; his almost two years of absence, though 
computed in the period of clerkship, could not 
have enlarged the sphere of his legal knowledge, 
and the few months of his return previous to his 
admission, did not add much to the stock. 

Soon after his admission, I find him sharing 
the office of his brother John, at No 3 Wall 
Street, and invoking the influence of Mr. Hoff- 
man with the Council of Appointment, for some 
professional office which he might turn to the ad- 
vantage of both, evidently reposing for success in 
the discharge of its duties, should his application 
prevail, more on the superior legal competency 
and assiduous businei-s habits of his brother John 
than upon his own qualifications. I give the 
letter, which is addressed to Mr. Hoffman at 
Albai y. 



126 LIFE AND LETTERS 

New York, February 2, 1807. 
Dear Sir . — 

I am writing this letter from your parlor, and have 
the pleasure of informing you that the family, at this 
moment, are perfectly well ; the girls all out in the 
sunshine ; Mrs. H. sewing like a good housewife ; 
little Charles sleeping up stairs, and little old fashio7i 
by my side, most studiously turning over the leaves 
of a family Bible. The only occurrences of impor- 
tance that have taken place in the family, since Mrs. 
Hoffman wrote last, are, that Mr. Edgar has sent to 
know if you took the house for the ensuing year, and 
Mrs. Hoffman has answered in the affirmative. Louis 
has received sailing orders, and I have beaten the old 
lady most deplorably at cribbage 

Having given you all the domestic intelligence' 
that I am master of, I hope you will not think it im- 
pertinent if I speak a little of myself. 

I learn with pleasure, that the council of appoint- 
ment are decidedly Lewisite. . As there will, doubt- 
less, be a liberal dispensation of loaves and fishes on 
the occasion, I would humbly put up my feeble voice 
in the general application. Will you be kind enough 
to speak " a word in season " for me. There will, 
doubtless, be numerous applicants of superior claims 
to myself, but none to whom a " crumb from the 
table " would be more acceptable. I can plead no 
services that I have rendered, for I have rather 

shunned than sought political notoriety 

1 know that there are few offices to which I am eli- 
gible, either from age or legal information. My 
brother, John T. Irving, is much older than myself, 
and from his knowledge of the law is capacitated to fill 
offices to which I cannot pretend ; our interests are 
the sa/ne, as we shall share whatever falls to either 
df our lots. . . . I do not intend that you 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 127 

should give yourself any trouble on my account ; 
your good word is all I solicit, should anything pre- 
sent which you should think suitable to me 

So little, however, does he seem intent at this 
time upon professional employment, that we find 
him concerting with James K. Paulding the pro- 
ject of " Salmagundi," the first number of which 
appeared only two months after the date of his 
license, and prior by a few days to this unfruit- 
ful appeal to Mr. Hoffman. Paulding was then 
a clerk in the Loan Office, living under the same 
roof with his brother-in-law, William Irving, and 
used to amuse his leisure by scribbling satirical 
stricture« ibr the newspapers. Washington pro- 
posed to him to drop that and join with him in 
the plan of a work which should be mainly char- 
acterized by a spirit of fun and sarcastic drollery, 
and should come out in numbers, and at such in- 
tervals as should suit their pleasure and conven- 
ience. Paulding readily fell in with the idea. 
They were afterwards joined by Washington's 
eldest brother, William, who made up the trio, 
Launcelot Langstaff, Anthony Evergreen, and 
William Wizard. Peter, no longer editor of 
the " Morning Chronicle," in which Paulding and 
Wji-shington had first tried their wings, would in 
all probability have formed a fourth if he had 
been in the city, but he had departed on a tour 
in Europe, just previous to the appearance of 
the first number. 

The work was undertaken purely for their 
own amusement ; to please themselves, and with 
no expectation of pecuniary profit. If they cov 



128 LIFE AND LETTERS 

ered the expense of paper and printing it was all 
they cared for, and the publisher, David Long- 
worth, '• du-ky Dj,vie," as they called him from a 
song of the period, was made to profess " the 
same sublime contempt for money with the au- 
tliors." 

The work ran through twenty numbers, and 
was continued one year. 

The first number appeared on the 24th of 
January, 1807, and the opening article, the joint 
product of Washington and Paulding, breathes 
a dashing, buoyant audacity, well calculated to 
disturb the sobriety of Gotham. The second 
article — "From the Elbow-chair of Launcelot 
LangstafF, Esq." — came from the pen of Pauld- 
ing, and the two which followed, " On Theatrics," 
and " The New York Assembly," were written by 
Washington. 

The success of the first number was decisive. 
The sensation produced by it in the New York 
circles was intense, and great was the curiosity 
and speculation to know who were the mysteri- 
ous trio, who, with such unquestioning confi- 
dence, had undertaken to amuse, edify, and casti- 
gate the town. 

The second number appeared on the 4th of 
February, of which the first article was by 
Washington, the second and third by Paulding, 
the poetry, signed Pindar Cockloft, by William 
Irving, and the concluding advertisement by 
Washington. There is a trivial anecdote con- 
nected with this last article, which illustrates the 
free and darino^ humor in which the work wan 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 129 

conceived. The maRuscript had cliaracterized 
their satirical pleasantries as "good-natured 
raillery," which last word, by an expressive 
blunder, the printer converted into "villainy." 
Whether the blunder was felicitous or not, there 
was something waggishly de-criptive in the epi- 
thet which hit the humor of Washington, and he 
resolved at once to retain it. The adopted mis- 
print, "good-natured villainy," has stood from 
that day to this to characterize the merry mis- 
chief of their labors. 

The third number appeared on the 13th of 
February, containing, amung other papers, the 
fir°.t of the series of letters from Mustapha Rub- 
a-dub Keli Khan, which was written by Pauld- 
ing, with the exception of the paragraph givitig 
the account of the Tripolitan's reception on land- 
ing, which was thrown in by Wa.-hington. 

In the preface to the " Salmagundi " in Harper's 
uniform edition of his works, Paulding remarks : 
" The thouo^hts of the authors were so mino-led 
togetiier in these essays, and they were so liter- 
ally joint productions, that it would be difficult as 
well as useless to assign to each his exact share." 
The indication I have here given of their joinl 
property in this oriental paper will elucidate the 
remark, though it would be pressing it beyond 
its intent and meaning to confound all tlie essays 
in a joint indeterminate authorship. Many of the 
articles were exclusively from the pen of Pauld- 
ing ; AVashington stooJ alone in the authorship 
of others, while William's participation in the 
work was confined to the poetry and the letters 

VOL. I. 9 



130 LIFE AND LETTERS 

of Mustapha in Nos. V. and XIV., though to 
these last Washins^ton contributed some additional 
touches. All the remaining letters of Mustapha 
came exclusively from the pen of Washington, 
with the exception of that in No. XVIII., which 
is to be ascribed to Paulding. I speak with the 
moi-e confidence in this matter, that I have 
Paulding's own authoiity for these sj^ecial assign- 
ments, who claims but two of the nine letters of 
Mustapha, and distinguishes the authorship of 
the others as I have indicated. His share in tixO 
work, however, though it could not be accurately 
discriminated, was quite equal to that of Wash- 
ington. 

The fourth number of '' Salmagundi " appeared 
on the 24th of February, making four numbers 
in a month. The sensation increased with every 
issue, and eight hundred copies were once dis- 
posed of in a day. They were also circulated 
in other cities of the Union, where imitations 
sprung up, went through a few numbers, and 
died. The authors were astonished at their own 
success, and finding that the work was yielding a 
large profit to the publisher, began to doubt 
whether some share of the advantage should not 
accrue to themselves. AVashington, in j^articular, 
who, as we have seen, had but recently taken his 
license, was by no means raised above the neces- 
sity of turning the unexpected success of the 
papers to account. " What arrangements have 
you made with the Dusky for tlie profits ? " he 
writes to Paulding from Virginia, in a letter to 
be hereafter given in full ; " I shall stand much 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 131 

in need of a little sum of money on my re- 
turn." 

Some months prior to the date of this extract, 
Longworth had taken out the copyright of " Sal- 
magundi " belbre Paulding or Irving was aware 
of its value, and all they ever received from him 
was a hundred dollars apiece, although at the 
time the original copyright expired, in 1822, 
Paulding conjectures, in a letter to Ebenezer 
Irving, that he had made by all accounts ten or 
perhaps fifteen thousand dollars out of it ; prob- 
ably an extravagant estimate. Longworth had at 
first suggested a copyright to them, but they did 
not think it worth while, and he thereupon took 
it out himself. 

iSIot long after the appearance of the fourth 
number of " Sahnagundi," Mr. Irving visited Phil- 
adelphia, and went the rounds of fasliion and 
gayety. I give some specimens of his corre- 
spondence at this period. 

The letter which follows is addressed to Miss 
Mary Fairlie, a belle filmed for her \\it and 
vivacity, who was afterwards the wife of the 
eminent tragedian, Thomas A. Cooper. The 
" fascinating Fairlie," as she is styled in a let- 
ter of Mr. Irving, was the " Sophy Sjr)arkle," of 
" Salmagundi." I am indebted to tlie politeness 
of her daughter, Mrs. Robert Tyler, for this and 
other letters which will be given to the same 
address. 



132 LIFE AND LETTERS 

[To Miss Mart/ Fairlie.'] 

Philadelphia, March 17, 1807. 
Your charming letter has just reached me, and the 
post shall not depart without an answer, if it is only 
to testify my gratitude for the exquisite entertain- 
ment you have furnished me. I should have written 
you a second letter without waiting for a reply to my 
first ; but really, I have been reduced to such an ex- 
tremity of nervous affliction, that I dared not run tlie 
hazard of being stupid. O, my friend, how dreadfully 
1 have been maltreated in this most facetious city I 
The good folk of this place have a most wicked dcteT- 
mination of being all thought wits and beaux esprits, 
and they are not content with being thought so by 
themselves, but they insist that everybody else should 
be of the same opinion, and it has produced a most 
violent attack of puns upon my nervous system. The 
Philadelphians do absolutely " live and move, and 
have a being," entirely upon puns, and their wits are 
absolutely cut up into sixpenny-bits, and dealt out in 
small change. 1 cannot speak two sentences but 
that I see a pun gathering in the faces of my hearers. 
I absolutely shuilder with horror — think what 
nuseries I suffer — me to whom a pun is an abomina- 
tion ; is there anything in the whole volume of the 
*' miseries of human life " to equal it. I experienced 
the first attack of this forlorn wit on entering Philadel- 
phia ; it was equal to a twinge of the gout, or a stitch 
in (lie side. 1 Ibund it was repeated at every step. 
T could not turn a corner, but that a pun was hurled 
at my head ; till, to complete my annoyance, two 
young devils of punsters, who began just to crow in the 
art like young bantams, penned me up in a corner at 
a tea-party, and did so hepun me, that I was reduced 
to absolute stupidity. I hastened home prodigiously 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 133 

indisposed, took to my bed, and was only roused there- 
from by the sound of the breakfiist-belL I have suf- 
fered more or less ever since ; but, thank heaven, it 
is a complaint of which few die, otherwise I should 
be under no small apprehension. Your message to 

the elegant shall be foithfuUy remembered. 

has sent him a handkerchief of yours, 

vv'hich she happened accidentally to have with her. 
I expect to see him wearing it in his bosom, or on his 
hat, or perhaps as a night-cap. He still retains a 
spark of faithful recollection, and was particular in 
his inquiries of Brevoort, whether you were not in 
low spirits. He called on me two or thi'ee times, and I 
on him, but we could not find each other at home ; by 
good fortune, however, I overtook him yesterday, us 
he was treating his legs to an airing in Market Sireet. 
As I hold those ponderous supporters of his body in 
no inconsiderable estimation, I was particular in no- 
ticing their appearance, and am happy to say they 
are in a state of tolerable prosperity, though they 
have rather a pensive aspect, owing, I suppose, to the 
weight of misery and' carcass they have to undergo 
(meaning a villanous pun, for which God forgive me). 
The dear dog was very loving in his salutation, and 
made several kinds of pulse-feeling questions. Were 
there not several ladies coming on from New York ? 
No ! The reply was like a guillotine ; it chopped off 
his hopes and his question at one stroke, and the un- 
happy relapsed into stupidity, and thought of 

the moon I As I have no such thing as malice in 
my composition, and do love dearly to make every- 
body happy, I advised him to make New York a visit. 
He expressed a wish to do so. I begged him to go 
with me ; he wanted to know how soon 1 should go ; 
this I could not tell ; as my stay depends entirely on 
Tiy whim and my pocket ; he seemed to listen to the 



134 LIFE AND LETTERS 

proposition witli complacency, and it shall go hard, 
but you Avill have him puffing and lumbering about 
your parlor in the course of a week or two 

I have been introduced to Mrs. D by her 

husband. I won't speak all that I think of her ; you 
would accuse me of hyperbole ; but, to say that I ad- 
mire her would be too cold, too feeble. I think she 
would be a belle in heaven itself. I cannot retrain 
from gazing on her continually whenever I meet her, 
and were I an Eastern visionary, I should bow down 
and do her homage, as one of the Houris destined to 
perfect the bliss of true believers. This is all honest, 
sober fact, whatever you may think of it 

You need not be under any apprehensions of my 
forgetting New York while you are in it (very like 
a compliment) ; but I have so many engagements on 
hand, am so intolerably admired, and have still so 
much money in my pocket, that I really can fix no 
time when I shall return to my New York insignifi- 
cance. 

I fear I shall miss the post, so, though I have a 
world of matter more to communicate, I must hastily 
conclude with my warmest remembrance to your 
family, and a fervent request for an immediate an- 
swer. 

P. S. — As your mamma is so kindly solicitous 
about my health, do not let her know of my being so 
violently indisposed with this pun fever, particularly 
as I feel myself on the recovery ever since I have 
read that estimable work entitled " God's Revenge 
against Punning.'* 

In her reply of March 19th, this lady begs 
him to try to come back by the next assembly, 
<vhich was that day week and was to be the last. 

It seems that he must have returned, for a 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 135 

female correspondent at Philadelphia (March 
30th) gives with playful extravagance the follow- 
ing picture of the impression he had left behind. 
"As for me, my consequence lessens every day ; 
indeed I begin to think seriously of leaving this 
terrestrial paradise. Half the people exist but 
in the idea that you will one day return. AVlien 
will pleasure return to these wretched beings ? 
They have no philosophy, and ages will not rec- 
oncile them to the loss of your society." 

It was on this visit to Philadelphia that Mr. 
Irving made the acquaintance of Joseph Deniiie, 
then in high repute as the author of the " Lay 
Preacher " and conductor of the " Portfolio," and 
next to Charles Brockden Brown, the first Amer- 
ican writer who made a profession of litera- 
ture. 

In the eighth number of " Salmagimdi " which 
appeared soon after, he incorporated in the char- 
acter of LangstafF the following sketch of Den- 
nie's peculiarities : — 

LangstafF inherited from his father a love of litera- 
ture, a disposition for castle building, a mortal en- 
mity to noise, a sovereign antipathy to cold weather 
and brooms, and a plentiful stock of whimwhams. 
From the delicacy of his nerves he is peculiarly 
sensible to discordant sounds ; the rattle of a wheel- 
barrow is " horrible " ; the noise of children " drives 
him distracted " ; and he once left excellent lodg- 
ings, merely because the lady of the house wore high- 
heeled shoes, in which she clattered up and down 
jtairs till, to use his own emphatic expression, " they 
made hfe loathsome " to him. He suffers annual 



136 LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 

martyrdom from the razor-edged zephyrs of oui 
''- bahny spring " ; and solemnly declares that the 
boasted month of May has become a perfect " vaga 
bond." As some people have a great antipathy to 
cats, and can tell when one is locked up in a closet, 
so Launcelot declares his feelings always announce 
to him the neighborhood of a broom — a household 
implement which he abominates above all others. 
Nor is there any living animal in the world that 
he holds in more utter abhorrence than what is 
usually termed a notable housewife — a pestilent 
being, who, he protests, is the bane of good fellow- 
ship, and has a heavy charge to answer for the 
many offenses committed against the ease, comfort, 
and social enjoyments of sovereign man. He told 
me not long ago, " that he had rather see one of the 
weird sisters flourish through his key-hole on a 
broomstick, than one of the servant maids enter the 
door with a broom." 

Dennle had nil the nervous irritability here 
ascribed to Langstaflf" and vrheu he read this ex- 
tract he saw that he had been sitting for his like- 
ness, and afterwards acknowledged to the author 
with evident gratification the truth of the por- 
traiture. 



CHAPTER XI. 

Letter to Miss Fairlie. — Mingles in an Election. — Passage 
of a Letter from Miss Fairlie. — His Likeness. — Letter to 
Miss Fairlie. — Attends the Trial of Burr. — Letter to Mrs. 
Hoflfman. — General James Wilkinson. — Letter to James 
K. Paulding. — Striking Account of the first Encounter ot 
Burr and Wilkinson. — Strictures on No. 10 of " Salmagun- 
di" by himself. — Thomas A. Cooper, the Tragedian. — 
Letter to Miss Fairlie. — Last Interview with Burr. — Death 
of his Father. 




OON after his return from Philadelphia, 
his lively correspondent, Miss P^iirlie, 
paid a visit to Boston. In the Ibllovv- 
incf fi'aiiment of a letter addressed to her at tliat 
place, we have an amusing sketch of himself and 
other juvenile patriots at the polls : — 

[To Miss Mary Fairlie.'] 

New York, May 2, 1807. 
I thank you a thousand times for the wish you ex- 
press that I should write to you 

Well We have toiled through the 

purgatory of an' election, and may the day stand for 
aye accursed on the Kalendar, for never were poor 
devils more intolerably beaten and discomfited than 
my forlorn brethren, the Federalists. What makes 
me the more outrageous is, that I got fairly drawn 



138 LIFE AND LETTERS 

into the vortex, and before the third day was ex 
pired, I was as deep in mud and politics as ever a 
moderate gentleman would wish to be ; and I drank 
beer with the multitude ; and I talked handbill-fash- 
ion with the demagogues, and I shook hands with 
the mob — whom my heart abhorreth. 'Tis true for 
the two first days I maintained my coolness and in- 
difference. The first day I merely hunted for whim, 
character, and absurdity, according to my usual cus- 
tom ; the second day being rainy, I sat in the bar- 
room at the Seventh Ward, and read a volume of 
Galatea, which I found on a shelf; but, before I had 
got through a hundred pages, I had three or four 
good Feds sprawling around me on the floor, and 
another with his eyes half shut, leaning on my 
shoulder in the most affectionate manner, and spell- 
ing a page of the book as if it ha,d been an elec 
tioneering handbill. But the third day — ah 1 then 
came the tug of war. My patriotism all ab once 
blazed forth, and I determined to save my country 1 
O, my friend, I have been in such holes and corners ; 
such filthy nooks and filthy corners, sweep offices and 
oyster cellars 1 " I have been sworn brother to a 
leash of drawers, and can drink with any tinker in 
his own language during my life" — faugh ! I shall 
not be able to bear the smell of small beer or to- 
bacco for a month to come ! . . . . 

Truly this saving one's country is a nauseous piece 
of business, and if patriotism is such a dirty virtue — 
prythee, no more of it. I was almost the whole time 
at the Seventh Ward — as you know, that is the 
most fertile ward in mob, riot, and incident, and I 
do assure you the scene was exquisitely ludicrous. 
Such haranguing and puffing and strutting among 
all the little great men of the day. Such shoals of 
unfledged hemes from the lower wards, who had 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING, 139 

broke away from their mammas, and run to elec- 
tioneer with a slice of bread and butter in their hands. 
Every carriage that drove up disgorged a whole nur- 
sery of these pigmy wonders, who all seemed to put 
on the brow of thought, the air of bustle and busi- 
ness, and the big talk of general committee men. . . . 

I extract from the lady's reply ; reminding the 
reader that, in the number of " Salmagundi " issued 
a few weeks before, there was a queer likeness of 
Launcelot Langstaff with a preposterous length of 
nose. 

Boston, 11th May. 

How my heart joyed to hear of your defeat ! never 
did I receive a letter which gave me so much pleas- 
ure. I cannot say, however, that it was unexpected, 
as I am too good a Republican to have thought of 
leaving New York without being perfectly sure of 
our victory. 

You are all blown. A cute young man, an author 
of the Anthology, dined with us to-day. After hav- 
ing (by the way of entertaining me) been catechized 
by him on all points, he asked me the usual question 
of who was the author of" Salmagundi" ? I told him 
that it was not absolutely known, but that you were 
ahvQviCiXy suspected ; he said he thought so; that he 
had seen you in Ital\ ; that the instant he saw the 
likeness of Launcelot in No. 8, he perceived it bore a 
strong likeness to you, indeed very striking ; it had 
your nose and the whole contour of your face ex- 
actly ; to be sure, he added, it was a little carica- 
tured ! I forthwith determined to have it set in 
pearl, and shall evermore wear it next my heart, in 
token of the great love and kindness I bear the orig- 
inal I 



140 LIFE AND LETTERS 

Mr. Irving had made a sudden departure from 
New York before the date of this extract, and 
what follows is written in advance of its receipt. 

[To Miss Mary Fairlie.'] 

Fredericksburg, Va., May 13, 1807. 

" There is a tide in the affairs of men," 

and a pretty rapid one too, sometimes, as witness 
myself all at once hurried off by the stream to this 
part of the Union, without a previous pro or con 
about the matter. You are, doubtless, surprised (\i 
any movement of mine interests you sufficiently to 
occasion surprise) at my sudden transition from New 
York to Virginia, without giving you an inkling of 
such an intention in my last letter. To save you, 
therefore, the trouble of wondering about the circum- 
stance, and of running through the whole catalogue 
of certainties, probabilities, and possibilities, with 
their attendant hows, and whens, and whys, I merely 
inform you that I did not so much as dream of this 
jaunt four-and-twenty hours before my departure — 
that I am on business ; but having got into this part 
of the world, I shall spend some time in visiting my 
Virginia friends, 'tending Burr's trial, etc., etc. 

At Baltimore I made a stay of two days, during 
which I was toted about town and introduced to 
everybody; in the course of which laborious occupa- 
tion I encountered several very imminent hazards 
from the beauteous damsels of the place, who have 
the same murderous thirst for conquest that charac- 
terizes their sex throughout the world ; I particularly 

mention a Miss , a very pretty young woman. 

I had not been in her company long, before her man- 
ners alarmed my suspicions, and upon whispering ta 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 141 

a gentleman next to nie, I had them fully confirmed ; 
in short, I discovered that I had fallen into the 
clutches of a declared belle ; Avhereupon I seized my 
hat and retreated as rapidly as ever did his High- 
ness, the Duke of York. Of all things in the Avorld, 
1 do eschew a professed belle from my very soul. . . . 
I am now with my friend Colonel Mercer of 
Fredericksburg ; to-morrow I set off for liichmond. 
and from thence almost immediately to Williamsburg 
to see Cabell, who has lately married one of the 
finest and richest girls in A^irginia. 

This was his friend and travelling companion, 
Jose; h C. Cabell, who had lately acknowledged the 
receipt of a gay and humorous letter from him, 
which convinced him that he was '' the same 
Washington Irvino^ who>e name resounded so 
h>ijg in the valley of the Ticino." 

The real explanation of his sudden flight from 
New York was that he went off on an informal 
retainer from one of the friends of Coh)nel Burr, 
whose trial was expected to take place in Rich- 
mond. His client had little belief in his legal 
erudition, and did not look for any approach to a 
professional debut, but thought he might in some 
way or other be of service with his pen. He 
himself felt that the movements and deportment 
of Burr were likely to be highly interesting in 
his present circumstances, and seems eagerly to 
have embraced the opportunity of mingling in the 
excitements of the trial. Enveloped as had been 
.he proceedings of Burr in doubt aiid mystery, 
he did not at this time share in the prevalent 
belief of his treason, and he writes to Mrs. Hoff- 



142 LIFE AND LETTERS 

mau, •' though opposed to him in political prin 
ciples, yet I consider him as a man so fallen, so 
sliorn of the power to do national injury, that ] 
feel no sensation remaining but compassion for 
him." 

In the following letter to the same lady, we 
find him in attendance on the tiial. 

ITo Mrs. Hoffman.'] 

Richmond, June 4, 1807. 
.... You expected that the trial was over 
at the time you were writing ; but you can little con- 
ceive the talents for procrastination that have been 
exhibited in this affair. Day after day have we been 
disappointed by the non-arrival of the magnanimous 
Wilkinson ; day after day have fresh murmurs and 
complaints been uttered ; and day after day are we 
told that the next mail will probably bring his noble 
self, or at least some accounts when he may be ex- 
pected. We are now enjoying a kind of sus[)ension 
of hostilities ; the grand jury having been dismissed 
the day before yesterday for five or six days, that 
they might go home, see their wives, get their clothes 
washed, and flog their negroes. As yet we are not 
even on the threshold of a trial ; and, if the great 
hero of the South does not arrive, it is a chance if 
we have any trial this term. I am told the Attorney- 
general talks of moving the Court next Tuesday, 
for a continuance and a special Court, by which 
means the present grand jury (the most enlightened, 
perhaps, that was ever assembled in this country) 
will be discharged ; the witnesses will be dismissed ; 
many of whom live such a distance off that it is 
a chance if half of them will ever be again col- 
'jected. The Government will be again subjected to 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 143 

immense expense, and Colonel Burr, besides being 
harassed and detained for an additional space of 
time, will have to repeat the enormous expendi- 
tures which this trial has already caused him. I am 
very much mistaken, if the most underhand and un- 
generous measures have not been observed towards 
him. He, however, retains his serenity and self- 
possession unshaken, and wears the same aspect in 
all times and situations. I am impatient for the ar- 
rival of this Wilkinson, that the whole matter may 
be put to rest ; and I never was more mistaken in 
my calculations, if the whole will not have a most 
farcical termination as it respects the charges against 
Colonel Burr. .... 

To understand the force of this allusion to 
General James Wilkinson, then at the head of 
the army, and Governor of the Territory of 
Louisiana, it will be u^cessary to remember that 
he \\'as supposed at the time to be in some way 
implicated in the schemes of Burr. He had 
known him in the Revolution, and the intimacy 
had continued through a long coiirsa of years. 
Not a great while prior to the arrest of Burr, 
when he was wandering in the West, they had 
corresponded in mysterious characters, as if the 
subject of their communi'^ations required con- 
cealment, and though he had finally taken an 
active part in baffling his schemes and bringing 
iiim to trial, doubts were still entertained whether 
— if cleai of actual participation in the designs 
of his former friend — he liad not at least pur- 
sued a temporizing policy, until he saw the im- 
pending explosion. Certain it is that Burr 



144 LIFE AND LETTERS 

claimed him as an associate, and charged him 
with perfidy. 

On the 24th of June the grand jury, of which 
the celebrated John Randolph was foreman, came 
in with charges of treason and misdemeanor 
against Burr. Two days before, Mr. Irving had 
written a letter to James K. Paulding, which, 
among other matters of interest, contains a strik- 
ing account of the first encounter of Burr and 
Wilkinson. 1 give the letter. 

Richmond, June 22, 1807. 

Dear James : 

I have been expecting a few lines from you for 
some time past, and am sorry to find you stand upon 
ceremony. Had I the same leisure that I had when 
in New York, you should not want for scrawls as 
often as you choose, but here I have but a few mo- 
ments that are not occupied in attending the trial, 
and observing the character and company assembled 
here. I wish to know all the news about our work, 
and any literary intelligence that may be in circula- 
tion. I am much disappointed at your having con- 
cluded the first volume at No. 10. Besides making 
an insignificant baby-liouse volume, it ends so weakly 
at one of the weakest numbers of the whole. At 
least it is a number which is not highly satisfactory 
to me, perhaps because I wrote the greatest part of 
it myself, and that at huri-ied moments. I had in- 
tended concluding it in style, and commencing Vol. 2 
with some eclat : " but let that pass." I have no 
doubt you had three special reasons for what you 
have done, and am content. What arranoenient 
have you made with the Dusky for the profits ? I 
shall stand much in need of a little sum of money 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 145 

on my return. I shall endeavor to send you more 
matter for another number, as soon as I can find time 
and humor to write it in ; at present I have neither. 

I can appoint no certain time for my return, as it 
depends entirely upon the trial. Wilkinson, you 
will observe, has arrived ; the bets were against Burr 
that he would abscond, should W. come to Rich- 
mond ; but he still maintains his ground, and stil) 
enters the Court every morning with the same serene 
anfl pla,eid air that he would show were he brought 
there to plead another man's cause, and not his 
own. 

The lawyers are continually entangling eacliothei 
in law points, motions, and authorities, and have been 
80 crusty to each other, that there is a constant spar~ 
ring going on. Wilkinson is now before the grand 
jury, and has such a mighty mass of words to deliver 
himself of, that he claims at least two days more to 
discharge the Avondrous cargo. The jury are tired 
enough of his verbositv. The first interview between 
him and Burr was hijihlv interesting;, and I secured a 
good place to witness it. Burr was seated with his 
back to the entrance, facing the judge, and conversing 
with one of his counsel. Wilkinson strutted into the 
Court, and took a stand in a parallel line with Burr 
on his right hand. Here he stood for a moment 
swelling like a turkey cock, and bracing himself up 
for the encounter of Burr!s eye. The latter did not 
take any notice of him until the judge directed the 
clerk to swear General Wilkinson ; at the mention 
of the name Burr turned his head, looked him full 
in the face with one of his piercing regards, swept 
his eye over his whole person from head to foot, as 
if to scan its dimensions, and then coolly resumed 
his former position, and went on conversing with 
his counsel as trantpiilly as ever. The whole look 

VOL. I. 10 



146 LIFE AND LETTERS 

was over In an instant ; but it was an admirable one. 
There was no appearaiice of study or constraint in 
it; no affectation of disdain or defiance ; a sligiit 
expression of contempt played over his countenance, 
such as you would sliow on regarding any person to 
whom you were indifferent, but whom you considered 
mean and contemptible. Wilkinson did not 'remain 
in Court many minutes. 

Do write me immediately. Answer me the ques- 
tions I have already asked, and give me all the news 
you hear. 

Love to Pindar and family. 

Yours truly, W. I. 

" Pindar " was his brother William, who wrote 
the poetical pieces of "Salmagundi" under the 
signature of Pindar Cockloft. The hurried ar- 
ticle to which he objects as having been written 
by himself, was styled " The Stranger in Phila- 
delphia." It was made up of satirical observa- 
tions ou men and manners in that city, but did 
not satisfy him, and was not retained in subse- 
quent editions. 

Mr. Irving was still absent at Richmond, 
when the number which succeeded this appeared, 
containing a letter from Mustapha by himself, 
and '' Mine Uncle John," which is exclusively 
from the pen of Paulding. Of this finished and 
delightful sketch he used always to speak in 
terms of warm admiration. He appreciated it 
the more, no doubt, from having known the 
original, a veritable uncle of the writer. 

Thous^h his attendance at the trial turned out 
a professional sinecure, Mr. Irving contrived to 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 147 

pass two months in Richmond very agreeably 
'' I have been treated," he writes some time be- 
fore he left, " in the most polite and hospitable 
manner by the most distinguished persons of the 
place — those friendly to Colonel Burr and those 
opposed to him, and have intimate acquaintances 
among his bitterest enemies. I am absolutely 
enchanted with Richmond, and like it more and 
more every day. The society is polished, socia- 
ble, and extremely hospitable, and there in a 
great variety of distinguished characters assem- 
bled on this occasion, which gives a strong de- 
gree of interest to passing incidents." 

One occurrence which befell him there illus- 
trates somewhat comically a romantic phase of 
his character. 

Cooper, the actor, had been playing a round 
of characters at Richmond during the trial, and 
was requested to give the part of Beverly in the 
'• Gamester," but he lacked the necessary eqnip- 
ment of smail-clotlits. Whereupon Mr. Irving 
lent him a pair for the occasion — breeches being 
all the vogue in those days — which Coojjer af- 
terwards carried off to Baltimore. Here he dis- 
covered in the pocket a mysterious locket of hair 
in the shape of a heart, and he thereupon dis- 
patched a humorous half-poetical epistle to Irving 
to relieve the anxiety he presumed he might feel 
on account of its supposed loss. The whole 
lines need not be quoted, but after sundry inqui- 
ries as to : — 

" Where Avas the sylph when his finger? entwined 
The dear lock," 



148 LIFE AND LETTERS 



he adds, 



" Receive these inquiries, dear friend, in good part, 
And since you have locked the fair hair in 3'our heart, 
Ne'er trust, of the girl who your fancy bewitches. 
Such an emblem of love in another man's breeches. 

The history of this '' emblem of love " is curi- 
ous. During his romantic sojourn at Genoa, 
Mr. Irving was very much taken with the beauty 
(^f a young Italian lady, the wife of a French- 
man. He had met her frequently in the social 
circles of Genoa, but had never been introduced 
to her, and was content to worship the lovely 
vision afar oif. At a party which he attended 
just pi-ior to his leaving, she dropped her hand- 
kerchief, which he, observing, picked up, and with 
more gallantrj^ than honesty transferred to his 
own pocket as a secret but precious keepsake. 
At Catania he had the mistbrtune to be robbed 
of this handkerchief. He had gone one even- 
ing to the cathedral of St. Agatha to be present 
at a fete in honor of the saint. The church was 
brilliantly lighted and densely filled. After mov- 
ing about among the crowd for a while, he and 
his naval companions, whose uniform denoted 
them to be strangers, were ushered very politely 
into the chapel of St. Agatha, separated from the 
rest of the church by a grating of gilt iron, and 
from hence, heretics as they were, they were ad- 
mitted into an inner chapel where the bust of the 
saint was deposited, and which was generally 
sacred from profane intrusion. It was an un- 
usual stretch of civility towards heretics, and 
here it was — in these sacred precincts — as if 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING, 149 

IS a set-ofF to the unwonted courtesy, that his 
pocket was picked of its stolen treasure. 

A history of the whole atfliir was dispatched 
to liis friend Siorm at Genoa, h^meuting his mis- 
fortune. Tlie latter, through some fair medium, 
communicated it to the lovely Bianca, for that 
was lier name, who thereupon sent liim a lock 
of her hair, with a request that he would come 
to see her on his return to Genoa. He did not 
return that way, as we have seen, though such 
had been his intention, but the hair was inclosed 
in a locket and worn round his neck, a cherished 
memorial of a radiant vision which had once 
crossed his' path and been seen no more. It was 
this locket which had been left in the borrowed 
breeches, and gave occasion to Cooper's witty 
jeu ct esprit. 

On his way home from Richmond, he writes 
the f )llowing letter to his charming coiTesp(md- 
ent, Miss Fairlie, which among other thing gives 
an interesting account of his last interview \\'ith 
Burr, who set-ms to have exercised over his youth- 
ful fancy that peculiar fascination for which lie 
was so remarkable. 

\_To Miss Mary Fairlie.'] 

Washington City, July 7, 1807. 
The interval that has elapsed, since last I wrote to 
you, certainly requhes some apology ; but apologies 
\ always consider as implying some restraint, or cere- 
mony, or control ; and, as I wish our correspondei.oe 
to be perfectly free, pleasant, independent, voluntary, 
anconstrained, unshackled, etc , etc., I am determined, 



150 LIFE AND LETTERS 

though X nave some half a dozen excellent apologies 
at the end of my pen, yet they shall be passed over 
in silence, or taken for granted, as best suits your 
humor. I feel the more indel^ted to you for the let- 
ters I have received, inasmuch as they must have 
interfered with a tliou^and of those splendid enjoy- 
ments by which you, as a declared belle, must be 
necessarily engrossed. Trust me, it is grateful to 
my feelings, and not a little flattering to my vanity, 
the proud idea, that, Avhen surrounded like the grand 
Lama, or the immortal Josh, by a crowd of humble 
adorers, you can still think upon such an insignifi-. 
cant personage as myself, and even steal away from 
the shrine at which you are worshipped, to bestow 
on me an hour's conversation. Inspired by such 
thoughts, I open your letters with a kind of triumph ; 
I consider them as testimonies of those brilliant mo- 
ments which I have rescued from the buzzards that 
surround you ; moments, perhaps, for which some 
hapless Damon sighed, of which he counted the 
tedious seconds by a stop watch ; fancied them 
puffed up into half hours or any other portly di- 
mensions, and cursed the giant minutes as they 
passed I Vain-glorious mortal that I am ! perhaps 
these same epistles on which I so much value myself 
are merely the effusions of some vacant hour, some 
interval between dressing and dinner, or dinner and 
a ball ; perhaps the mere method by which you de- 
lassitude yourself after the iatigues of an evening's 
campaign, like the illustrious Jefferson, who, after 
toiling all day in deciding the fates of a nation, re- 
tires to his closet and amuses himself with impaling 
a tadpole ; but let them be written when, where, 
or how they will, be assiu'ed they will ever be re- 
3eived with delight, and read with avidity. 

I am now scribbling in the pai'lor of Mr. Van 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 151 

Ness, at whose house I am on a visit ; having, as you 
plainly perceive, torn myself from Richmond. 1 
own the parting was painful, for I had been treated 
there with the utmost kindness, and havinsr become 
a kind of old inhabitant of the place, was permitted 
to consult my own whims, inclinations, and caprices, 
just as I chose ; a privilege which a stranger has to 
surrender on first arriving in a place. By some un- 
lucky means or other, when I first made my appear- 
ance in Richmond, I got the character, an)ong three 
or four novel-read damsels, of being an interesting 
young man ; now of all characters in the world, be- 
lieve me, this is the most intolerable for any young 
man, who has a will of his own to support ; particu- 
larly in warm weather. The tender-hearted fair 
ones think you absolutely at their command ; they 
conclude, that you must, of course, be fond of moon- 
light walks, and rides at daybreak, and red-hot strolls 
in the middle of the day (Fahrenheit's Thermom. 
98|- in the shade), " and melting-hot — hissing-hot " 
tea-parties, and what is worse, they expect you to 
talk sentiment and act Romeo, and Sir Charles, and 
I^ng Pepin all the while. 'Twas too much for me ; 
had I been in love with any one of them, I believe 
I could have played the dying swain, as eloquently 
and foolishly as most men ; but not having the good 
luck to be inspired by the tender passion, I found 
the slavery insupportable ; so I fortlnvith set about 
ruining my character as speedily as possible. I for- 
got to go to tea-parties ; I overslept myself of a 
morning ; I protested against the moon, and derided 
that blessed planet most villainously. In a word, I 
was soon given up as a young man of most prepos- 
terous and incorrigible opinions, and was left to do 
3'en just as I pleased. Yet, believe me, I did, not- 
»v*thstanding, adniu'c the fair damsels of Richmond 



152 LIFE AND LETTERS 

exceedingly ; and, to be candid at once, the charac 
ter of the whole sex, though it has ever ranked high 
in my estimation, is still more exalted than ever^ I 
have seen traits of female goodness while at Rich- 
mond, that have sunk deeply in my heart — not dis- 
played in one or two individual instances, but 
frequently and generally manifested ; I allude to the 
case of Colonel Burr. Whatever may be his innocence 
or guilt, in respect to the charges alleged against liira 
(and God knows I do not pretend to decide thereon), 
his situation is such as should appeal eloquently to the 
feelings of every generous bosom. Sorry am I to 
say, the reverse has been the fact — fallen, pro- 
scribetl, prc^'udged, the cup of bitterness has been 
administered to him with an unsparing hand. It 
has almost been considered as culpable to evince 
towards him the least sympathy or support ; and 
many a hollow-hearted caitiff have I seen, who 
basked in the sunshine of his bounty, when in power, 
who now skulked from his side, and even mingled 
among the most clamorous of his enemies. The 
ladies alone have felt, or at least had candor and 
independence sufficient to express those feelings 
which do honor to humanity. They have been uni- 
forsn in their expressions of compassi(m for his mis- 
fortunes, and a hope for his acquittal ; not a lady, I 
believe, in Richmond, whatever may be her husband's 
sentiments on the subject, who Avould not rejoice on 
seeing Colonel Burr at liberty. It may be said that 
Colonel Burr has ever been a favorite with the sex ; 
but I am not inclined to account for it in so illiberal 
a manner ; it results from that merciful, that heavenly 
disposition, implanted in the female bosom, which ever 
inclines in favor of the. accused and the unfortunate. 
You will smile at the high strain in which I have in- 
dulged ; believe me, it is because I feel it ; and ] 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 153 

love your sex ten times better than ever. The last 
time I saw Burr was the day before I left Richmond. 
He was then in the Penitentiary, a kind of State 
prison. The only reason given for immuring him 
in this abode of thieves, cut-throats, and incendiaries, 
was that it would save the United States a couple of 
hundred dollars (the charge of guarding him at his 
lodgings), and it would insure the security of his 
person. This building stands about a mile and a 
half from town, situated in a solitary place among 
the hills. It will prevent his counsel from being as 
much with him as theydeemed necessary. I found 
great difficulty in gaining admission to him, for a few 
moments. The keeper had orders to admit none but 
his counsel and his witnesses — strange measures 
these 1 That it is not sufficient that a man against 
whom no certainty of crime is proved, should be con- 
fined by bolts, and bars, and massy walls in a crim- 
inal prison ; but he is likewise to be cut off from all 
intercourse with society, deprived of all the kmd 
offices of friendship, and made to suffer all the pen- 
alties and deprivatioTis of a condemned criminal. I 
was permitted to enter for a few moments, as a spe- 
cial favor, contrary to orders. Burr seemed in lower 
spirits than formerly ; he v/as composed and collected 
as usual ; but there was not the same cheerfulness 
that I have hitherto remarked. He said it was with 
difficulty his very serv;int was allowed occasionally to 
see him; he had a bad cold, which I suppose was 
occasioned by the dampness of his chamber, whi(.'h 
had lately been white- washed. 1 bid him farewell 
with a heavy heart, and he expressed with peculiar 
ivarmth and feeling his sense of the interest I had 
taken in his fate. I never felt in a more melancholy 
jiood than when I rode from his solitary prison. 
Such is the last interview I had widi poor Burr, and 



154 LIFE AND LETTERS OF JRVING. 

I shall never forget It. I have written myself into 
a sorrowful kind of a mood, so I will at once desist, 
begging you to receive this letter with indulgence, 
and regard, with an eye of Christian charity, its 
many imperfections. 

Believe me, truly and affectionately, 
Your friend, 

Washington Irving. 

In the autumn of this year, Mr. Irving lost 
his father, who had long been suffering from par- 
alysis. He died October 25, 1807, at the age of 
76, having sustained through life a character for 
undeviating rectitude and the most sincere piety. 
Washino^ton continued for some time to reside 
with his mother, who was left in independent 
circumstances.^ 

1 The dwelUng in which the father died, and which the 
widow continued to occupy, was one which he had purchased, 
and to which he had removed in 1802. It stood, but stands 
no longer, at the northwest corner of William and Ann 
streets. 




s^sj^^b^ 




CHAPTER XII. 

Discontinuance of" Salmagundi " — Disparaging Estimate of 
the Worlc by Irving. — Paulding's Allusion to it. — Re- 
marks on the Subject by Duyckinck and Bryant. — Re- 
printed in London in 1811. — Reviewed. — Knickerbocker 
Commenced. — Peter Embarks for Europe. — Chai ge in 
the Plan of Knickerbocker. — Matilda lloiiman. — Her 
Death. 




I HE twentieth number of '• Salmagundi,'* 
in which the writers take leave of the 
public, appeared on the 25th of January, 
1808. It was an unexpected and abi-upt discontin- 
uance. I have heard ibe youngest of the trio say 
the work was given up just when his mind was 
kindling with new conceits, and he had designed, 
among other plans in embryo, a marriage of 
William Wizard with one of the Miss Cocklofts, 
and had amused himself in idea with a desciip- 
tion of tlieir queer nuptials. Paulding also inti- 
mates in the opening article of the number, which 
is written by him, that it was not " for want of 
subjects " they did not keep on, but gives no 
glimmering of the true cause, which, in fact, 
grew out of a difficulty between themselves and 
their publisher, who had put the price at a shil- 
(mg, and was disposed to limit somewhat dictato- 
rially for these novices in authorship the quantity 
of matter for each number. 



156 LIFE AND LETTERS 

The reader of " Salmagundi" at the prese-it day 
must bear in mind that it was given to the world 
when our city scarce numbered more than eighty 
thousand inhabitants, and that its pages are im- 
pressed with the local images and humors of that 
epoch. "Take it altogether," says a critic in the 
''North American Review," in looking back upon 
it, " it was certainly a production of extraor- 
dinary merit." Whatever its merit, however, 
in other eyes, Mr. Irving never valued himself 
much upon his share of it in his riper years. 
Paulding has an allusion to this in one of his let- 
ters to him, in which he says : " I know you con- 
sider old Sal. as a sort of saucy, flippant troUope, 
belonging to nobody, and not worth ftithering.'* 
" The work was pardonable as a juvenile pro- 
duction," writes Washington to Brevoort, in 1819, 
" but it is full of errors, puerilities, and imper- 
fections. I was in hopes it would gradually have 
gone down into oblivion." Bui; this is the rig- 
orous and over-sensitive estimate of his maturer 
years. Mr. Evert A. Duyckinck, in his preface 
to the recent volume of " Salmagundi," printed 
from the original edition wiih notes, gracefully 
remarks, in allusion to Mr. Irving's too slighting 
appreciation of the work : " We cannot suppose 
iiim insensible to the many excellences which 
the work undoubtedly possesses ; charms of man- 
ner and of thought springing from the frei-h, joy- 
ous period of youth, and lending their gi'ace to 
the brightest pages of his matured labors. ' Sal- 
magundi' is the literary parent not only of the 
' Sketch Book ' and the ' Alhambra,' but of sill 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 157 

the intermediate and subsequent productions of 
Irving, even of some sli.olit ornaments of the 
graver offspring of the 'Columbus' and ' Wash- 
ington/ There is, for instauce,.in one ot the hiter 
numbers, a chapter of 'The Chronicles of the 
renowned and ancient city of Gotham,' whicii 
anticipates the humor of Knickerbocker; there 
are traits of tenderness and pathos suggestive of 
tilt! pLiintive sentiment of the ' Sketch Book;' 
and the kindly humors of the Cockloft mansion 
are an American Bracebridge Hall." Bryant, 
too, in his genial and very beautiful commemo- 
rative address, remarks of " Salmagundi:" '^' Its 
gayety is its own; its style of humor is not that 
of Addison nor Goldsmith, though it has all the 
genial spirit of theirs ; nor is it borrowed from 
any other writer. It is far more fiolicsome and 
joyous, yet tempered by a native gracefulness. 
' Salmagundi ' was manifestly wiitten without the 
tear of criticism before the eyes of the authors, 
and to this sense of perfect freedom, in the exer- 
ci.^e of their genius, the charm i«; probably owing, 
which makes us still read it with so much delicrht. 
Irving never seemed to place much value on the 
pait he contributed to this work, yet I doubt 
whether he ever excelled some of those papers 
in ' Salmagundi,' which bear the most evident 
marks (jf his ^tyle ; and Paulding, though he has 
since acquired a reputation by his other writings, 
can hardly be said to have written anything bet- 
ter, than the best of those which are ascribed to 
his pen."^ 

1 A Discvar$e on tht Life, Character, and Genius of Wash- 



158 LIFE AND LETTERS 

" Salmagundi " was reprinted in London in 
1811, and critically noticed in the " Monthly Re- 
view." " I don't know whether I mentioned to 
you" [writes Y/ashington to his brother William], 
"that 'Salmagundi' has been reviewed in the Lon- 
don 'Monthly Review,' and much more favorably 
than I had expeeted. The faults they point out 
are such as I had long been sensible of, and they 
seem particularly to attack the quotations and the 
Latin interwoven in the poetry, which certainly 
does halt most abominably in the reading. On 
the whole, however, 1 think we came off very 
handsomely, and I only hope the other critics may 
be as merciful." 

It was not long after the completion of ''Sal- 
magundi " that Mr. Irving resumed his literary 
labors. Peter had returned from a year's ab- 
sence in Europe, just before the appearance of 
the last number, and in conjunction, as the younger 
informs us in the account of its composition, the 
two brothers commenced the " History of New 
York." The first idea of the work was a mere 
jeu d' esprit in burlesque of Dr. Samuel Mitch- 
ill's, " Picture of New York," then just published, 
and with this view they took a vast quantity of 
notes, in emulation of the erudition displayed in 
the commencement of that work, which began 
with jin account of the Aborigines. They started, 
therefore, with the creation of the world. The 
author has informed us how this idea expanded 
into a different conception, after the departure of 

\ngton Irmng, delivered before the New York Historical 
Society, at the Academy of Music, in New York, on the 3d 

of April, I8(j0, by William Oulleii l>ryaiit. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 159 

his brother a second time for Europe; but it 
would seem that the original plan of the work 
must have been near its fulfillment, as early as 
April 30, 1808, as I find a letter of that date 
from his brother Peter to him, in which he says : 
" I presume you must be aware esta ohra " (the 
language used to designate it — being the Span- 
ish for '' that work ") " must terminate for the 
present at the point at which I left it. It should, 
therefore, be completed without loss of time, and 
I entreat you either to whip your imagination 
into a gallop, or to leave it for an uncomplying 
jade, and saddle your judgment. If you do not, 
I shall have to give the thing such a hasty finish 
as circumstances may permit, immediately on my 
return — for my pocket calls aloud and will not 
brook delay." At the date of this letter the 
writer was at Schenectady, on his way to Johns- 
town, to visit a sick sister (Mrs. Dodu^e). The 
next day he met very unexpectedly, at the same 
place, the party to whom it was addressed, Wash- 
ington having left New York on the 28th, on a 
sudden mission to Montreal, and having diverged 
at Albany to Schenectady. Here he prevailed 
on Peter to defer his visit to Johnstown, and ac- 
company him to Montreal ; and the two brothers, 
partners in pleasure as in purse, proceeded to- 
gether to that place. 

On his return, Washington hears, at Saratoga 
Springs, of his sister's death. 

The following letter was written the next day, 
at Albany : — 



160 LIFE AND LETTERS 

\_To Mrs. Hoffman.'} 

Albany, June 2, 1808 

M V DEAn Friend : — 

I have just arrived in Albany, and found two let- 
ters from you and Mr. Hoffman, so kind and so af- 
fectionate that 1 cannot express to you how grateful 
they were to my feelings. My journey has been 
tedious and unpleasant, but it is so far over, and 
past fatigues are soon forgotten. 

On the road, as I was travelling in high spirits 
with the idea of home to inspire me, I had the shock 
of reading an account of my dear sister's death, and 
never was a blow struck so near my heart before. Five 
years liave nearly elapsed since 1 have seen her, and 
though such an absence might lessen the pang of 
eternal separation, still it is dreadi'ully severe. One 
more heart lies still and cold that ever beat towards 
me with the warmest affection, for she was the tender- 
est, best of sisters, and a woman of whom a brother 
might be proud 

To-morrow morning early I set off for Johnstown. 
AVould to Heaven that I had gone there a month 
ago 

On returning to Albany from Johnstown, he 
had the novel luxury of descending the Hudson 
by steamboat; leaving, as his record testifies, 
June 8th, at 8 A. m., and arriving in New York 
the next evening. 

In December of this year, Mr. Irving made a sec- 
ond trip to Montreal, on business for a commercial 
house in New York. It was a sad disappoint- 
ment to him, upon his return, to find that his 
brother Peter had sailed again for Europe. He 
had gone out to Liverpool, about the 1st of Jan- 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 161 

uary, on pressing business for bis brotber Wjlbam's 
bouse, Irving & Smitb, leaving Washington to 
proceed with tbe '' History of New York." It was 
tben tbat the latter changed tbe whole plati of 
the work, and, discarding what bad reference to 
a Liter period than the Dutch dynasty, and grap- 
pHng with the other mass of notes, undertook to 
frame a work according to his new conception. 
I have heard him sa}^ he bad bard work to con- 
dense into its present shape, the ponderous mass 
of notes wliicb bad been taken for the first book, 
as a burlesque of erudition fuid pedantry ; tbat 
he managed, with infinite L;boi", to com2:>ress it 
into five introductory chapters, and in subsequent 
editions would have been glad to compress these 
into one, but was deterred from undertaking it by 
the hibor it would cost. The residue of the book 
was exclusivi'ly his, and I cannot but regard it 
as a fortunate circumstance, tbat it was not com- 
pleted in conjunction, for Peter bad not the rich 
comic vein of Washington ; and though bis taste 
was pure and classic, it was a little too nice and 
fasti»lious not to have sometimes operated as a 
drawback upon the genial play of his brother's 
exuberant humor. 

The " History of New York " was for advanced 
tov/ards its completion, when Mr. Irving was called 
to encounter a blow which left him for a while lit- 
tle heart fur bis work, and probably gave a color to 
bis whole futuie existence. For some monib-; 
past, the partiality wiih which he bad regarded 
the second daughter of INIr. HotFman bad deepened 
into a serious passion, and the point to which all 

Vf)I.. I. 11 



162 LIFE AND LETTERS 

his hopes were turning lay in a union with her. 
He was not one, however, to have been easily 
instigated to tlie imprudence of involving another 
in his own lot without some " sober certainty " 
of income. " I think," he writes in one of his 
later letters, " these early and improvident mar- 
riages are too apt to break down the spirit and 
energy of a young man, and make him a hard- 
working, half-starving, repining animal all his 
days." Sometimes his sense of the imprudence 
of early matrimony, where the lover is without 
the means of maintaining a wife, would appear in 
a playful illustration. " Young men in our coun- 
try," he would say, " think it a great extrava- 
gance to set up a horse and carriage without 
adequate means, but they make no account of 
setting up a wife and family, which is far more 
expensive." But in proportion as he felt the im- 
providence of such a step, in the same degree did 
he feel his own precarious prospects, and the ne- 
cessity of bettering his condition. His letters to 
Peter, of this period, are unfortunately lost, but 
the replies of the latter have been preserved, and 
show what uncongenial plans he was sometimes 
revolving to advance his fortunes. " I am averse," 
says this brother, in a letter dated Liverpool, 
March 9th, 1809, "to any supercargoship, or any 
thing that may bear you to distant or unfriendly 
climates. I would not take one of those cursed 
India voyages — hardly — for a young fortune." 
Other letters contain intimations of his repining 
Ht being unemployed in some means of steady 
livelihood; and of plans and purposes which were 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 163 

passing through his mind, evidently pointing to 
some advantage which might place him in a con- 
dition to link another's fortunes with his own> 
In the midst of these came the blow, by which 
the defirest hope of his life was forever over- 
thrown. 

Matilda HotFman, the intended sharer of his 
lot in life, closed her brief existence in tlie city 
of New York, on the .26th of April, 1809, in the 
eighteenth year of her age. Though not a daz- 
zling beauty, she is described as lovely in person 
and mind, of the most gentle and engaging man- 
ners, and with a sensibilit}^ that mingled gracefully 
witli a delicate and playful humor. In a letter 
to Washington, written just after the tidings of 
lier death had reached him, Peter has this allu- 
sion to her : " May her gentle spirit have found 
that heaven to which it ever seemed to appertain 1 
She was too spotless for this contaminated world." 
It is an indie iti(m of the depth of the author's 
feeling on this subject, that he never alluded to 
this |)art of his hi.-tory, or mentioned the name of 
Matilda even to his most intimate friends ; but 
after his death, in a repository of whicli he al- 
ways kept the key, a package was found, marked 
on the outside '' Private Mems. ;" from which he 
would seem to have once unbosomed himself. 
This memorial was a fiagment, of which the be- 
ginning and end were missing. Tlie ink was 
faded, and it was without address, but it haf 
since appeared, from the testimony of a daughter, 
that it was addressed to Mrs. Amelia Foster, an 
English lady whom, as will be seen hereafter, he 



164 LIFE AND LETTERS . 

met at Dresden at the close of 1822, and with 
whose family, during his sojourn in that city, he 
became extremely intimate. The daughter says : 
" It was left with us under a sacred prouiise that 
it should be returned to him ; that no copy should 
be taken ; and that no other eyes but ours should 
ever rest upon it. The promise was faithfully 
kept" — which will account for its remaining 
among his ()apers. The communication was evi- 
dently the result of inquiries about his early his- 
tory, and how it happened he had never married, 
fur towards its close, after recounting the story 
of his youthful love, and its sad termination, he 
^^ays : '• You woi.der why I am not married. I 
have shown you why I was not long since. 
. . My tinie has now gone by, and I have growing 
claims upon my thoughts, and my means, slender 
and precarious as they are." 

With these private memoranda was found a 
miniature of great beauty, inclosed in a ca.^e, and 
in it a braid of fair hair, and a slip of paper, on 
which was written in his own hand-writing, "Ma- 
tilda Hotlman." 

The two months succeeding the deaih of Ma- 
tilda, were spent in the retirement of the country, 
at the house of his friend. Judge William P. Van 
Ness, at Kinderhook, afterwards the residence of 
President Van Buren. 

It is a striking evidence how little Mr. Irving 
was ever disposed to cultivate or encourage sad- 
ness, or suffer his " melancholy to sit on brood," 
that he should be engaged during this pei-iod of 
borrow and seclusion, in revising and giving ad- 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 165 

ditional touches to his " History of New York." 
In the private commuiiication before mentioned, 
in alluding to this period, he says : " When I be- 
came more calm and collected, 1 applied myself, 
by way of occupation, to the finishing of my 
work. I brought it to a close, as well as I could, 
and jDublished it ; but the time and circumstances 
in which it was produced, rendered me always 
unable to look upon it with satisfaction." 

Although the poignancy of his grief had worn 
away when he returned to the city, his counte- 
nance long retained the trace of melancholy feel- 
ings. A portrait by Jar vis, taken some months 
afterwards, and conceded without dissent at that 
time, to be a faithful and admirable likeness, is 
remarkable for its expression of pensive refine- 
ment. Mr. Irvinof never alluded to this event of 
his life, nor did any of his relatives ever venture, 
in his presence, to introduce the name of Ma- 
tilda. I have heard of but one instance, in which 
it was ever obtruded upon him, and that was by 
her father, Mr. Hoffman, nearly thirty years 
after her death, and at his own house. A grand- 
daughter had been requested to play for him 
some favorite piece on the piano, aiid in extract- 
mg her music from the drawer, had accidentally 
brought forth a piece of embroidery with it. 
Washington," said Mr. Hoffman, picking up the 
folded relic, " this is a piece of poor Matilda's 
workmanship." The effect was electric. He had 
neen conversing in the sprightliest mood before, 
and he sunk at once into utter silence, and in a 
few moments got up and left the house. 



186 LTFE AND LETTERS 

It is an evidence with what romantic tender- 
ness Mr. Irving cherished the memory of this 
early love, that he kept by him, thi-ough life, the 
Bible and Prayer-book of Matilda. He lay with 
them under his pillow, in the first days of keen 
and vivid anguish that followed her loss ; and 
they were ever afterwards, in all changes of cli- 
mate and country, his inseparable companions. 

Perhaps the following anecdote may be re- 
garded as of kindred significance. But two or 
three years before his death, in the course of an 
interesting conversation with a niece, who was 
visiting him, he was led to descant upon the sol- 
itude of a life of celibacy ; and then, as if sud- 
denly struck with the incongruity of his own 
practice, he remarked to her in a half-playful, 
half-mournful way, " You know I was never in- 
tended for a bachelor." She did not, of course, 
intrude upon the sacredness of his recollections 
to inquire how it happened he had never married ; 
but a few hours afterwards, as if furnishing his 
own solution to the enigma, he handed her a piece 
of poetry, with the remark, " There's an auto- 
graph for you." She took it and casting her eye 
upon the paper, perceived it to be a copy of those 
noble lines of Campbell, " What's hallowed 
ground ? " It was in his own hand-writing, and 
bore the marks of having been transcribed years 
before. I quote some of the stanzas : — 

" That's hallowed ground, where, mourned and miss'd, 
The lips repose our love has kiss'd : — 
But where's their memoiy's mansion ? Is't 
Yon churchyard's bovvers? 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 167 

No ! in ourselves their souls exist, 
A part of ours. 

•* A kiss can consecrate the ground 
Where mated hearts are mutual bound ; 
The spot where love's first links were wound, 

That ne'er are riven, 
Is hallowed down to earth's profound, 
And up to heaven. 

** For time makes all but true love old; 
The burning thoughts that then were told 
Bun molten still in memory's mould, 

And will not cool 
Until the heart itself be cold 

In Lethe's pool." 

It is in the light of this event of Mr. Irvhig's 
history, that we must interpret portions of his 
article on " Rural Funerals " in the " Sketch 
Book," and also that solemn passage in " St. 
Maik's Eve," in " Bracebridge Hall," beginning, 
" There are departed beings that I have loved as 
I never shall love again in this world — that 
have loved me as I never again sliall be loved." 
To this sacred recollection also, I ascribe this 
brief record, in a note-book of 1822, kept only 
for his own eye : " She died in the beauty of her 
youth, and in my memory she will ever be young 
and beautiful." 




w>^ff^^^^mE^-(i^)<^ 




CHAPTER XIII. 




Letter to Peter Irving. — Curious Heralding of the " History 
of New York." — Concern of a Cit}' Functionary for the 
Missing Diedrich. — Its Publication. — Visit to Albany. 
— Diedrich's Reception among the Dutch. — Opinions of 
. Knickerbocker. — Scott. — Verplanck. — Letter to Mrs. 
Hoffman. 

ME first letter I find, after his return 
from Kinderhook, is addressed to liis 
brother Peter, from which I make the 
following extract: — 

I am really at a loss Avhat to write to 
you about. I have been so little abroad in the 
world since my return from Van Ness' that I know 

nothing how matters are going on My 

health has been feeble and my spirits depressed, so 
that I have found company very irksome, and have 
shunned it almost entirely. I propose setting out on 
an expedition to Canada with Brevoort on Saturday 
next, to be absent sixteen days. There is a steam- 
boat on the lake which makes the journey sure and 
pleasant. I trust the jaunt will perfectly renovate 
me. On my return I shall go to Mr. Iloifman's 
retreat at Hellgate, and prepare esta obra for a 

launch 

We are all well. Irving & Smith are highly 
satisfied with your assiduity. I refer you to Hal 
and SaUy for family particulars. 

The " H;J and Sally " here mentioned, were 



LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 169 

Henry Van Wart and his wife, the youngest sis- 
ter of Mr. Irvinij. Mr. Van Wart had enor-acred 
in business in England, just after his marringe in 
1806, in connection with the house of Irving & 
Smith in New York ; he had retiii-ned to this 
country in 1808, under an apprehension of im- 
pending war between the United States and 
Great Britain, and was now about to go back, to 
find in England his permanent home. 

The country retreat spoken of, in which Mr. 
Irving was to prepare his " History of New York " 
for publication, was delightfully situated at Ra- 
venswood, near Hellgate. He passed much of 
his time here in August and September, and 
had a boat at command belonging to his fi-iend 
Brevoort, called The Tinker, in which he used to 
ply between the city and this sumnler i-esidence 
of the HofFmans. 

In the November succeeding, Mr. Irving re- 
paired to Philadt'lphia, to superintend the publica- 
tion of his " History of New York." He adopted 
the expedient oF putting it to pre^^s in that rather 
than his native city, to prevent, as far as possible, 
any idea of the reil character of the work from 
getting wind in advance of its appearance. At 
the same time curiosity was awakened in New 
York, by a series of preparatory advertisements, 
foreshadowing its appearance, without betraying 
its grotesque and mock-heroic qualities. These 
'^ere afterwards collected by me at his request, 
and inserted by him after '• The Author's Apol- 
ogy," in the introdu('ti(»n to his revised edition of 
Knickerbocker in 1848. 



170 LIFE AND LETTERS 

The first of these Notices appeared in the 
" Evening Post " about six weeks prior to the 
publication, and was as follows : — 

DISTRESSING. 

Left his lodgings some time since, and has not 
since been heard of, a small elderly gentleman, 
dressed in an old black coat and cocked hat, by the 
name of Knickerbocker. As there are some 
reasons for believing he is not entirely in his right 
mind, and as great anxiety is entertained about him, 
any information concerning him left either at the 
Columbian Hotel, Mulberry Street, or at the ofiice of 
this paper, will be thankfully received. 

P. S. — Printers of newspapers would be aiding 
the cause of humanity in giving an insertion to the 
above. — Oct. 25. 

In less than a fortnight this was followed by 
another ; — 

To the Editor of the " Evening Post " : — 

Sir, — Having read in your paper of the 26th 
October last a paragraph respecting an old gentle- 
man by the name of Knickerbocker, who was missing 
from his lodgings ; if it would be any relief to his 
friends, or furnish them with any clue to discover 
where he is, you may inform them that a person 
answering the description was seen by the passen- 
gers of the Albany stage early in the morning about 
four or five weeks since, resting himself by the side 
of the road a little above Klngsbridge. He had in 
his hands a small bundle tied in a red bandana 
handkerchief; he appeared to be travelling north- 
ward, and was very much fatigued and exhausted. 
Nov. 6, 1809. A Traveller. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 171 

To this succeeded, in ten days, a letter signed 
by Seth Haadaside, landlord of the Independent 
Columbian Hotel, Mulberry Street : — 

Sir: — You have been good enough to publish in 
your paper a paragraph about Mr. Diedrlch Knicker- 
bocker, who was missing so strangely from his lodg- 
ings some time since. Nothing satisfactory has been 
heard of the old gentleman since ; but a very curious 
I'ind of a written hook has been found in his room in 
his own handwriting. Now I wish you to notice 
him, if he is still alive, that if he does not return and 
pay off his bill, for board and lodging. I shall have 
to dispose of his Book, to satisfy me for the same. 

This device to call attention to the appearance 
of the forthcoming work was sufRciently ingen- 
ious and original, and it is an amusing incident, 
in this connection, that one of the city author- 
ities found his sympathies so much enlisted by 
the appeal, as to call on the author's brother, 
John T. Irving, and consult him on the propriety 
of offering a reward for the discovery of the 
missing Diedrich. 

Though the author had carried the manuscript 
in a complete state to Philadelphia, yet he after- 
wards made some additions, as was not imusual 
with him, as the work was ^oing through the 
press. It was here that he wrote the voyage of 
Peter Sfuyvesant up the Hudson, aud the enu- 
meration of the army. Coming home late one 
night, and finding himself locked out of his 
lodgings, he repaired to the quarters of a bache- 
lor friend, but could not sleep after obtaining ad- 
mittance. It was then that the idea of that 



172 LIFE AND LETTERS 

journey flashed through his mind ; and so rapidly 
did the images crowd upon him, that he rose 
from the bed to strike a liglit, and write them 
down — but he could not find the candle, and 
after stumbling about for awhile, to the annoy- 
ance of his sleepy but wondering companion, he 
managed to get hold of a piece of paper, and 
jot down some of his impressions in pencil in 
the dark. The next morning he stopped the 
press, until he had fiiiished his picture and se- 
cured its admission. 

On the 6th of December, 1809, appeared the 
advertisement of its actual publication, in these 
words : — 

IS THIS DAY PUBLISHED, 
BY INSKEEP AND BRADFORD — NO. 128 BROADWAY, 

A HISTORY OF NEW YORK. 

In 2 vols, duodecinio — price 3 dollars. 

Containing an account of its discovery and settle- 
ment, with its internal policy, manners, customs, 
wars, etc., etc., under the Dutch government, furnish- 
ing many curious and interesting particulars never 
before published, and which are gathered from va- 
rious manuscripts and other authenticated sources, 
the whol,e being interspersed with philosophical spec- 
ulations and moral precepts. 

This work was found in the chamber of Mr. Die- 
drich Knickerbocker, the old gentleman whose 
sudden and mysteiious disappearance has been no- 
ticed. It is published in order to discharge certain 
debts he has left behind. 

This advertisement, it will be seen, is unprom 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING 173 

ising enough, and awakens no expectation but 
of a sober matier-of'-fact history of our Dutch 
progenitors — an impression which the covert 
humor of its dedication, "To the New York His- 
torical Society," " as a humble and unworthy tes- 
timony of the profound veneration and exalted 
esteem of the Society's sincere well-wisher and 
devoted servant, Diedrich Knickerbocker," would 
no doubt help to coutirm. It is easy, therefore, 
to imagine the astonishment of many, on taking 
up the work, to find that the author had seized 
upon " the events which compose the liistory of 
the three Dutch governors of New York, merely 
as a vehicle to convey a world of satire, whim, 
and ludicrous descripiion." 

I give a contemporaneous notice of the work 
from the " Monthly Anthology and Boston Re- 
view." tiie precursor of the " North American." 
The notice begins with a short sketch of the origi- 
nal possession of the country by a few Dutch colo- 
nists, and its erection into an English province iu 
1GG4, and proceeds : — 

The meagre annals of this short-lived Dutch col- 
ony have afforded the groundwork for this amusing 
book, which is certainly the wittiest our press has 
ever produced. To examine it seriously in a his^tori- 
cal point of view would be ridiculous ; though the 
few important events of the period to which it re- 
lates are, we presume, recorded with accuracy as to 
their dates and consequences. 

These materials, which would hardly have sufficed 
to fill a dry journal of a few pages, are here extended 
lo two volumes. They only compose the coarse net- 



174 LTFE AND LETTERS 

work texture of the cloth, in which the author has 
embroidered a rich collection of wit and humor. 
The account of these honest Dutch governors has 
been made subservient to a lively flow of good-na- 
tured satire on the follies and blunders of the present 
day, and the perplexities they have caused. 

The great merit, and indeed almost the only one, 
which the varied labors of former times have left to 
the literature of the present day, aptness and fertil- 
ity of allusion, will be found almost to satiety in 
these pages. Those who have a relish for light 
humor, and are pleased with that ridicule which is 
caused by trifling, and, to the mass of the world, 
unobserved relations and accidents of persons and 
situations, will be often gratified. They will soon 
perceive that the writer is one of those privileged 
beings, who, in his pilgrimage through the lanes and 
streets, the roads and avenues of this uneven world, 
refreshes himself with many a secret smile at occur- 
rences that excite no observation from the dull, 
trudging mass of mortals. " The little Frenchmen, 
skipping from the Battery to avoid a shower, with 
their hats covered with their handkerchiefs;*' the 
distress of " the worthy Dutch family " annoyed by 
the vicinage of " a French boarding-house," Avith all 
its attendant circumstances, even down to " the little 
pug nose dogs that penetrated into their best room," 
are examples, among many others, of this disposi- 
tion. The people of New England are the subjects 
of many humorous remarks, but we are glad to ob- 
serve made with so much good-nature and mingled 
compliment and satire, that they themselves must 
laugh. 

Many of the descendants of the original colo- 
nists, however, looked at it with a less indulgent 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 175 

eye. This irreverent handling of their Dutch 
ancestors, and conversion of the field of sober 
history into a region of comic romance, was not 
to their taste. " Your good friend, the old lady," 
Avrites Mrs. Hoffman to him, at Philadelphia, on 
its first appearance, " came home in a great stew 
this evening. Such a scandalous story had got 
about town — a book had come out, called a " His- 
tory of New York ; " nothing but a satire and ridi- 
cule of the old Dutch people — and they said 
you was the author ; but from this foul slander, 
I'll venture to say, she has defended you. She 
was quite in a heat about it." The old lady here 
alluded to was the mother of Josiah Ogden Hoff- 
man. 

If some of the Dutch were nettled, others per- 
ceived that tlie work was written in pure wanton- 
ness of fun, without a particle of malevolence, 
and were willing to lauHi with the rest of the 
community, over pages of which a corre.^potident 
of a Baltimore p;;per wrote at the time : " If it be 
true, as Sterne says, that a man draws a nail out 
of his coffin every time he laughs, after reading 
Irving's book your coffin will certainly fall to 
pieces." 

Walter Scott was the first transatlantic author 
to bear witness to the merit of Knickerbocker. 
In the following letter to Henry Brevoort, who 
had presented him with a copy of the second 
edition in 1813, he writes: — 

My Dear Sir : — 

I beg you to accept my best thanks for the uncom- 
mon desree of entertainment which I have received 



176 LIFE AND LETTERS 

froii the most excellently jocose history of New 
York. I am sensible, that as a stranger to American 
parties and politics, I must lose much of the con- 
cealed satire of the piece, but T must own that look- 
ing at the simple and obvious meaning only, I have 
never read anything so closely resembling the style 
of Dean Swift, as the annals of Diedrich Knicker- 
bocker. I have been employed these few evenings 
in reading them aloud to Mrs. S. and two ladies 
Avho are our guests, and our sides have been abso- 
lutely sore with laughing. I think, too, there are 
passages, which indicate that the author possesses 
powers of a different kind, and has some touches 
which remind me much of Sterne. I beg you will 
have the kindness to let me know when Mr. Irving 
takes pen in hand again, for assuredly I shall expect 
a very great treat whicli I may chance never to hear 
of but through you.r kindness. 
Believe me, dear sir. 

Your obliged humble servant, 
Walter Scott. 

Abbotsford, 23 Apri', 1813. 

It was some years after the date of this letter, 
that his friend, Guh'an C. Verplanck, in an anni- 
versary discourse, delivered before the New York 
Historical Society, December 7, 1818, when the 
author was in Europe, took occasion to allude to 
this burlesque history in a spirit of regret, at the 
injustice done by it to the Dutch character. 
"It is painful," he says, " to see a mind as ad- 
mirable for its exquisite perception of the beau- 
tiful, as it is for its quick sense of the ridiculous, 
wasting the riches of its fancy on an ungrateful 
theme, and its exuberant humor in a (;oarse carica- 
ture." 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 177 

This censure was much softened by the com- 
plimentary remarks wiiich followed, which never- 
theless did not prevent his brother Ebenezer, who 
feared its effect upon a new edition of the woik 
which had just been put to press in Philadelphia, 
from giving vent to some vexation on the subject 
in a letter to Washington. The hitter v^'rite;?, in 
reply : — 

I have seen what Verplaiick said of my work. 
He did me more than justice in what he said of my 
mental qualifications ; and he said nothing of my 
work that I have not long thought of it myself. 
. . . . He is one of the honestest men I know of, in 
speaking his opinion. There is a determined candor 
about him, which will not allow him to be blinded 
by passion. I am sure he wishes me well, and his 
own talents and acquirements are too great to suffer 
him to entertain jealousy ; but were I his bitterest 
enemy, such an opinion have I of his integrity of 
mind, that I would refer any one to him for an 
honest account of me, sooner than to almost any one 
else. 

To Brevoort, to whom he had just transmitted 
across the Atlantic the first number of the " Sketch 
Book," which included the story of " Rip Van \\m- 
kle," he alludes to these critical strictures in a 
more playful vein. After a high compliment to 
the oration of Verplanck, he adds : — 

I hope he will not put our old Dutch burghers 
into the notion that they must feel affronted with 
poor Diedrich Knickerbocker, just as he is about 
creeping out in a new edition. I could not help 
laugliing at this burst of" filial Iceling in Yer])lam k, 

Vol. 1. 12 



178 LIFE AND LETTERS 

on the jokes put upon his ancestors ; though I honoi 
the feelins:, and admire the manner m which it is 
expressed. It met my eyes just as 1 had finished 
tlie little story of " Rip Van Winkle," and I could not 
help noticing it in the introduction to that bagatelle. 
I hope Verplanck will not think the article is writ- 
ten in defiance of his Vituperation. Remember me 
heartily to him, and tell him I mean to grow wiser, 
and better, and older, every day, and to lay the 
castigatlon he has given seriously to heart. 

The avails of the first edition of Knickerbocker, 
I have heard Mr. Irving say, amounted to about 
three thousand dollars. 

Soon after its publication he was urged by his 
friends to offer himself at Albany as a candidate 
for a clerkship in one of the Courts in New York. 
He could plead no party services, for he had 
shunned rather than sought political notoriety, but 
his brother-in-law, Daniel Paris, was a member 
of the Council of Appointment, and ready to foi*- 
ward his interest, and this presented an oppoitu- 
nity to provide for his maintenance and give him 
leisure for literary pursuit, which ?t was urged he 
ought not to lose. He failed to get the post, 
however, mainly through tlie counterworking of 
some candidates for other offices, who sought, by 
such manoeuvre, to compel the support of Paris 
to their claims. The integrity of Paris, however 
was of too stubborn a mould for such a game. 

I insert two letters written during his absence. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 179 

[_To Mrs. Hoffman.'] 

Johnstown, Feb. 12, 1810. 
My dear Friend : — 

1 wrote Mr. Ilotfinan a hasty letter from Albany, 
uncertain whether it would reach New York before 
his departure, and should have written him again, 
but that I concluded from what he told me before I 
left the city, that he would start for Albany on Sat- 
urday last. His presence has been anxiously looked 
for at Albany, and I am in hopes he will arrive there 
either this evening or to-morrow. I stayed three 
days there, and then left it for Johnstown ; though 
I could have passed several days there with much 
satisfaction, in attending the profound discussions of 
the Senate and Assembly ; and the movements of 
the crowd of office-hunters, who, like a cloud of lo- 
custs, have descended upon the city to devour every 
plant and herb, and every " green thing." The 
anxiety I felt, however, to see my sister induced me 
to hasten my departure, and one or two other con- 
siderations of trifling moment, concurred in uro-intj 
me on 

Your city is no doubt waiting with great solicitude 
to hear of the proceedings of the Council of Appoint- 
ment. The members have a difficult task allotted 
them, and one of great responsibility. It is impos- 
sible they should avoid disappointing many, and dis- 
pleasing more, but the peculiar circumstances in 
which they are placed entitle them to every indul- 
gence. I wish Mr. H. had started when I did ; his 
presence would, I think, have been of infinite service. 

I can give you nothing that will either interest you 
or yield you a moment's amusement. I have wit- 
lessed nothing since my depailure but political 
wrangling and intriguing, and this i.^^ unimportant to 



180 LIFE AND LETTERS 

yow ; and my mind has been too much occupied by 
worldly cares and anxieties to be sufficiently at ease 
to write anything worthy perusal. Add to this, I have 
been sick either from a cold, or the intolerable atmos- 
phere of rooms heated by stoves, and have been dis- 
gusted by the servility, and duplicity, and rascality I 
liave witnessed among the swarm of scrub politicians 
who crawl about the great metropolis of our State 
like so many vermin about the head of the body poli- 
tic ; excuse the grossness of this figure, I entreat you. 
I have just written to Peter Kemble, and strangely 
forgot to tell him (being a brother sportsman) that I 
had just returned from a couple of hours' bushbeat- 
ing, having killed a brace of partridges and a black 
squirrel I Give my love to all, and believe me ever 
affectionately, Your Friend, 

W. I. 

The following letter was written after he had 
renounced all hopes of success, and gives an 
amusing pictni'e of his reception at the head- 
quarters of Dutch domination, and his success in 
mollifying the wiath of some of the older families 
who had felt themselves aggrieved in the liberties 
taken with their aucerftors. 

[To Mrs. Hoffman.'] 

Albany, Feb. 26, 18 JO. 
My dear Friend: — 

I have just left Mr. Hoffman, who is suffering 
under a severe attack of the sick headache, and 
groaning in his bed most piteously. Since last I 
wrote you, I have relinquished all cares and thoughts 
about an appointment, and am now merely remaining 
in Albany to witness the interesting scenes of in- 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 181 

trigue and iniquity that are passing under my eye 
— to inform myself of the manner of transacting leg- 
islative business, with which I was before but little 
acquainted — to make myself acquainted with the 
great and little men of the State whom I find col- 
lected here, and lastly to enjoy the amusements and 
society of this great metropolis. I think I have 
most bountiful variety of occupation. You will 
smile, perhaps, when I tell you, that in spite of all 
my former prejudices and prepossessions, I like this 
queer little oldfashioned place more and more, the 
longer I remain in it. I have somehow or another 
formed acquaintance with some of the good people, 
and several of the little Yffrouws, and have even made 
my way and intrenched myself sirongly in the parlors 
of several genuine Dutch families, who had declared 
utter hostility to me. Several good old ladies, who 
had almost condemned my book to the flames, have 
taken me into high favor, and I have even had the 
hardihood to invade the territories of Mynheer Hans 

, and lay siege to his beauteous daughter, 

albeit that the high blood of all the burghers of the 
family was boiling against me, and threaten- 
ing me with utter annihilation. 

So passes away the time. I shall remain here 
some days longei-, and then go to Kinderhook. What 
time I shall return to NeAv York I cannot tell. I 
have no prospect ahead, nor scheme, nor air castle 
to engage my mind withal ; so that it matters but 
little where I am, and perhaps I cannot be more 
agreeably or profitably emplojed than in Van Ness' 
library. I shall return to New York poorer than I 
set out, both in pocket and hopes, but rich in a great 
store of valuable and pleasing knowledge which I 
have acquired of the wickedness of my fellow- 
creatures. That, I believe, is the only kind of 



182 LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVLVG, 

wealth I am doomed to acquire in the world, but it 
Is a kind of which 1 am but little covetous 

Though he wis very much feled and caressed 
at Albany before he left, yet many at first were 
very slow to extend any civility to him. One 
hidy was pointedly indignant against him, and in 
an outburst of wrath vowetl, if she were a man, 
she would horsewhip him. The historian was 
wonderfully amused on hearing this, and with a 
dejjjree of modest impudence quite foreign to his 
natural character, forthwith determined to seek an 
introduction. He accordingly prevailed on a 
friend to take him to her house. She received 
him very stiffly at first, but before the end of the 
interview he had succeeded in making himself so 
agreeable tliat she relaxed entirely from her hau- 
teur, and they became very good friends. 

She was satisfied, I presume, that he had 
taken the old Dutch names at random, without 
intending personal allusion, which was the case, 
as he hfis himself told me. " It was a con- 
founded impudt'nt thing in sucli a youngster as I 
was," said he to me in his latter ^^ears, " to be 
meddling in this way with old family names ; but 
I did not dream of offense." 



CHAPTER XiV. 




setter to Mr. Hoffman. — To Mrs. Hoffman. — Biographical 
Sketch of Campbell. — First Perusal of the " Lady of the 
^ake." — Longings for Independence. — Partnership Pro- 
posal. — Embraces it. 

HE following account of a journey to 
Philadelpliia, in which Mr. Irving acted 
as escort to Mrs. Hoffman and her 
three infant children, is not without interest, as 
an example of the jocose extravagance in which 
he sometimes indulged in scribbling to Mr. Hoff- 
man : — 

[To Mr. Hoffman.] 

Philadelphia, June 5, 1810. 
Dear Sir : — 

We arrived safe in Philadelphia this morning, be- 
tween eight and nine o'clock, and took the city by 
surprise, the inhabitants not having expected us 
until evening. All this is in consequence of my un- 
paralleled generalship, which already begins to be 
talked of with great admiration throughout the 
country. I took a light coachee from Brighton to 
Brunswick where we breakfasted, and finding it im- 
possible to procure a four-horse carriage there, I 
hanged carriage and horses and pushed on to Tren- 
ton, where, while the Philistines were dining, I en- 
gaged a f esh carriage and horses for Philadelphia, 
ind made out to reach Homesburgh (about teu miles 



184 LIFE AND LETTERS 

from Philadelphia) between seven and eight in tho 
evening. I Avas anxious to get as far as possible, 
lest the weather might change, or the children get 
unwell. The journey has b6en infinitely more com- 
fortable and pleasant than I bad anticipated. Yes- 
terday was a fine day for travelling, and I never 
knew children to travel so well. Charles has be- 
haved like a very good boy, and George is one of 
the sprightliest little travellers I ever knew ; he has 
furnished amusement during the whole ride, and 
what is still better, has gained unto himself a very 
rare and curious stock of knowledge ; for besides the 
unknown tongue in which he usually converses, and 
which none but Mammy Caty (who you know is at 
least one-half witch) can understand, he has picked 
up a considerable smattering of high Dutch since he 
entered the State of Pennsylvania, so that I re- 
gretted exceedingly, and that more than once dur- 
ing my travels, that the immortal Psalmanazar was 
not present to discourse with him. 

Little Julia has had an astonisliing variety of 
complaints since our leaving New York ; has had 
two doctors to attend her, has taken three score and 
ten doses of medicine, not to mention anise-seed tea 
and peppermint cordial, and what is passing strange, 
is still alive, fat and hearty; a case only to be paral- 
leled by that of the famous Spinster of Ratcliff 
Highway, who was cured of nineteen diseases in a 
Ibrtniglit, and every one of them mortal I 

You cannot conceive v.' hat speculation our appear- 
ance made among the yeomanry of Jersey and Penn- 
sylvania. Many of the excellent old Dutch farmers 
mistook us for a family of Yankee squatters, and 
were terribly alarmed, and the little community of 
Bustletown (who are very apt to be thrown into a 
panic) were in utter dismay at our approach, inso- 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 185 

much that when we entered one end of the town, I 
saw several old women in Pompadour and Birdseye 
gowns, with bandboxes under their arms, makin<^ 
their escape out of the other. However, I contrived 
to pacify them by letting them know it was the 
family of the Recorder of New York, who, being an 
orthodox Bible man, always travelled into foreign 
lands, as did the Patriarchs of yore — that is to 
say, with his wife, and his sons, and his daughters, 
his men-servants and his maid-servants, and his 
cattle and the stranger that is within his gates, and 
everything that is his, whereat they were exceeding 
clad and glorified God. 

We are all comfortably situated at Ann's,^ who 
lives in a little palace Mary is much im- 
proved in her looks, and appears to be a great fa- 
vorite with the family. Ann has taken her under 
}ier care, and is making her a hard student. She 
has already read seven pages in Rollin, and the 
whole history of Camilla and Cecilia, not to mention 
a considerable attack which she has made upon " the 
Castle of Inchvalley ; a tale, alas, too true ! " 

In the hurry of my writing the above (for I write 
as fast as we travelled) I forgot to mention to you 
that having safely arrived within the suburbs of 
Philadelphia, the old carriage in which we came 
from Trenton sank beneath its burden and gave up 
the ghost ! 

In other words, we broke down just after entering 

the city ; but as it was merely a spring had given 

way, the whole party, man, woman, and child, were 

dug out of the ruins without any other mishap than 

hat of overturning the medicine chest, and spilling 

1 Ann was the eldest daughter of INIr. IIofFinan, married, 
the year before, to Charles Nicholas, of Philadelphia. Mary 
«vas a younger sister by the tirst marriage, afterxrards Mrs, 
Philip Rhinelander. 



186 LIFE AND LETTERS 

fifteen pliials, which were as full of plagues as those 
mentioned In the Revelation. I immediately perceived 
a change in little Julia for the better, and I make 
bold to conjecture that had a dozen more been de- 
molished, she would liave been the heartiest child in 
Philadelphia at this present writing. You cannot 
imagine the astonishment of all Philadelphia at seeing 
so many living beings extracted out of one little 
carriage. 

Farewell, my good sir. Remember me to the 
remnants and rags of your household that remain 
behind. Keep all marauders from breaking into 
my room and disturbing the pictures of my vener- 
able ancestors, and believe me 

Ever your friend, 

W.I. 

A letter to Mrs. Hoffman at Philadelphia, 
after his return to New York, shows him to be 
domesticated at a cottasfe on the east bank of the 
Hudson, within a few miles of the city, which 
Mr. Hoffman had hired for a summer retreat. 
At its close he says : — 

Tell Charles I will be able to write to him about 
the beginning of the week, as Mr. Campbell is to 
spend part of to-morrow with me 

The Campbell here mentioned, was a brother 
of the Bard of Hope. He was a resident of 
New York, and had lately applied to Mr. Irving 
for his good offices in procuring the publication 
of "O'Connor's Child," and a new edition of 
" Gertrude of Wyoming," the manuscript of which 
the poet had sent out to him, with a view to a 
pecuniary remuneration on this side of the water. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 187 

Mr. Irving proposed the publication to Charles I 
Nicholas and his partner, booksellers in Phila- 
delphia, who agreed to undertake the work for a 
stipulated sum, provided he would preface it with 
a biographical sketch of the poet. To this lie 
assented ; and having obtained some meagre par- 
ticulars from the brother, worked them up into a 
brief biography, which was received with appro- 
bation by the public, though it gave little satis- 
faction to the author himself. He once told me 
it was written against the vein, and was, as he 
expi-essed it, " up hill work." 

In a pencil memorandum, half effaced, which 
I found among his papers after his death, we have 
this further sketch of him at the Hoffman's rural 
retreat on the Hudson. He had borrowed from 
Inskeep and Bradford, the English copy of the 
'' Lady of the Lake," before they were to put it 
to press, and all eagerness to devour it, had stolen 
forth with his secret treasure to have the first 
reading to himself. More than once I have 
heard liim descant upon the delight of this steal- 
thy perusal, and the surprise with which he 
[Started to his feet at the unexpected denouement, 

" And Snowdon's knight is Scotland's king." 
But here he is at his solitary enjoyment: — 

August 12, 1810. 

Seated, leaning against a rock with a wild 
cherry-tree over my head, readino; Scott's " Lady of 
the Lake." The busy ant hurrjing over the page — 
crickets skip})ing into my bosom — wind rustling 
imong the top branches of the tress. Broad masses 



183 LIFE AND LETTERS 

of shade darken the Hudson and cast the oppcsite 
shore in black. 

lam strongly reminded, by this picture, of his 
expressive invitation to a friend at a later day -7— 
to make him a visit at Sunnyside. " Come and 
see me, and I'll give you a book and a tree." 

In the next written trace of him this year, ] 
find him towards the end of August, at the hos- 
pitable seat of Captain Phillips, in (he Highlands, 
a favorite resort of himself, the Kembles, Pauld- 
ing, Brevoort, and, somewhat later, James Ren- 
wick. Near by was the mountain brook de- 
scribed in '• The Angler " of the " Sketch Book," 
and here it was that Brevoort sallied forth to 
catch trout, with the elaborate equipment set 
forth in that article. A female correspondent, 
describing to him a walk over these grounds 
some years later, and " up the lonely brook so 
familiarized to her by his descriptions," says: 
" Here we were shown Paulding's seat," and 
"your place of study (and I suspect — sleep)." 

The biographical sketch of Campbell was the 
only thing which came from his pen this year, 
and his literary pursuits would seem now to have 
been brought to a stand. The success of Knick- 
erbocker had been far beyond his expectations, 
but it did not quicken his zeal for literature as a 
profession. He liked the exercise of his pen as 
an amusement, or a source of occasional profit, 
but to be tied down to a literary career as hia 
destiny, to be under bonds to write for a liveli- 
hood, this presented no enviable prospect to him 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 139 

Indeed, his whole soul recoiled from the idea ot 
a dependence upon literature for his daily bread. 
Such a career was beset with too many trials and 
vexations, was too precarious, too fitful, too much 
exposed to caprice, vicissitude, and failure. His 
happiness was at stake in obtaining some employ- 
ment that would insure a steady income ; and 
disappointed, as we have seen, in some hopes 
of an office, for which his friends had urged his 
claims, and shut out apparently from every other, 
avenue to a modest competence — he seems at 
this period to have pondered the future with a 
boding heart. Brevoort, to whom he confided 
his doubts and misgivings, used playfully to rally 
him on his dread of the alms-house ; but his 
brother Peter, with a deeper insight into his na- 
ture, read the traces of these feelings in his let- 
ters in a different vein. He knew \A'ell, that 
though never inclined to take trouble upon inter- 
est, he was not so constituted that he could live 
for the moment without casting anxious glances 
ahead, dreading, of all things, to iiave his spirit 
clouded by an uncertain future. 

As there had been a sort of literary alliance 
in regard to Knickerbocker, so whatever either 
did at this time was for the benefit of both. 
Petei's letters abound in allusions to a sort of 
compact or partnership, by which they held all 
things in common. His main anxiety abioad 
seems to have aimed at rendering his expedition 
useful to Washington as well as to himself. 

I have already authorized you (he writes) to 
appropriate the proceeds of my expedition in any 



190 LIFE AND LETTERS 

way that may seem for our mutual benefit. I need 
not repeat that I consider your attention to esta obra 
as amply performing your part in our little partner- 
ship. In truth I only require you to be cheerful and 
not to repine at being unemployed, and I shall be 
happy. My only fear is that you may indulge dif- 
ferent feelings, and so acquire a temper of mind un- 
favorable to happiness. Be assured that if nothing 
of further profit grows out of my present occupation, 
we will, on my return, devise other plans of advan- 
•tage. 

And again : — 

I need not say how deeply essential your health 
and happiness are to my own enjoyment. I have 
the apprehension that you allow yourself to be dis- 
pirited by the idea that you are prevented by want 
of opportunity Irom playing an active part in our 
little partnership. Be assured that I am sincere in 
the expression of my opinion that the state of 
compelled inactivity is much the more irksome than 
that of active employment. On my honor, I con- 
sider yours the more difficult situation of the two. 
I shall only regret that you should view it differ- 
ently, yet that I trust cannot be. We certainly 
understand each other too well to have any consid- 
eration tor the laws of meum and tuum between us, or 
for either of us to care on which side the opportu- 
nity of i^rofitable exertion lies. 

These passages give an interestmg picture of 
the character of Peter, but it is doubtful whether 
they vv^ould have been effectual to i-epress the im- 
patient longing of Washington for some active 
pursuit ; if they had not speedily been followed 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 191 

t>y a letter from his brother, of a very different 
description, which seemed to open the long-cov- 
eted prospect to independence. 

I have just received (writes Peter from London, 
May 31, ,1810) a proposal from brother Ebenezer to 
form a connection in business, and have -written to 
him that it will be a pleasure to me, if it will be 
agreeable to him, to form a third with you and my 
self He will explain the plan contemplated 

It has never been my idea that you should become 
engaged in commerce, except so slightly as not to 
interfere with your other habits and pursuits. Nor 
would I have it. The drudgery of regular business 
I would not undertake for any reasonable consider- 
ation. Those who have been educated for it, and 
practiced in it, I have no doubt find it pleasant ; to 
me and to you it would be excessively irksome. 

My own plan here is to give it close attention at 
the necessary peiiods of purchase and shipment, and 
to be a man of leisure during the intervals. I have 
)»o doubt that w^e shall in a short time realize 
enough to establish a httle castle of our OAvn, in 
which we may assemble the good fellows we esteem. 

Washington grasped readily at this proposal, 
especially as the business was not likely to be at- 
tended with any trouble to himself, while it al- 
lowed long intervals of leisure to his brothei 
Peter — and afforded to Ebenezer a sphere of 
activity, in which he took delight. The firm 
took the name of P. & E. Irving & Co., in New 
York, and P. Irving & Co., in England. Peter 
made the purchases and shipments at Liverpool, 
while Ebenezer conducted the sales at New York. 



192 LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 

By tlie teriiis of the partnership, the profits were 
to be divided into fifths, the two active partners 
to receive each two fifths and Washington one ; 
but if he should marry or become an active part- 
ner, the profits were then to be divided into equal 
thirds. It was not expected by his ^brothers, 
however, tliat he would pay any attention to the 
business ; their object in giving him an interest 
in their concern, being mainly to provide for his 
subsistence, and leave him at liberty to cultivate 
his general talents, and devote himself to litera- 
ture. 




CHAPTER Xy. 

Visit to Washington. — Letter to Brevoort. — Jarvis the 
Painter. — Mrs. Madison's Levee. — Knickerbocker the 
Congressman. — Extract of a Letter to Mrs. Hoffman. — 
Mrs. Renwick. — Letter to Brevoort. — Letter to William 
Irving. — Joel Barlow and the Secretaryship of Legation 
— Letters to Brevoort. — George Frederick Cooke, the 
Actor. — His Performance of ]Macbeth. — His Benefit at 
the Park Theatre. 




HE winter whicli succeeded his partner- 
ship was one of great anxiety to the 
merchants. Their interests were likely 
to be seriously affected by the measures of Con- 
gress ; and his brotliers, William and Ebenezer, 
thought it advisable to have an agent at the seat 
of government, to watch the moving of the 
waters, and give the earliest intimations of com- 
ing danger. This business was confided to Wash- 
ington ; who, nothing loth, accordingly started 
for his destination, on the 21st of December, 
1810, and reached it on the 9th of January, 
1811 — a degree of speed not calculated to en- 
courage the hope of his proving a very alert 
channel of intelligence. 

In a letter to his brother Ebenezer, dated 
Washington, January 9, 1811, he writes: — 

I arrived here this evening, after literally strug- 

VOL. I. 1.3 



194 LIFE AND LETTERS 

gliug through the mud and mire all the way from 
Baltimore. I must confess I am not one of the most 
expeditious travellers in the world ; but it was impos- 
sible to withstand the extremely friendly and hos- 
pitable attentions of the good people of Philadelphia 
and Baltimore ; at any rate, I am a mere mortal on 
tliese occasions, and yield myself up, like a lamb to 
the slaughter. 

Congress has been sitting with closed doors for 
two or three days, engaged, as it is supposed, in the 
Florida business. I have not been able to learn any-: 
thing of matters as yet, but I mean to be as deep in 
the mysteries of the cabinet as that " entire chryso- 
lite " of wisdom, .... notwithstanding that he 
rode post, as I am well informed, from New York to 
Washington, with his finger beside his nose, and nod- 
ding and winking all the way to every man, woman, 
and child he saw. 

In a letter which follows to Brevoort, who 
had accompanied him to Philadelphia, we have 
among other things, an allusion to a French 
translation of Knickerbocker, to Jarvis the 
painter, and to Mrs. Madison. 

CiTT OF Washington, Jan. 13, 1811. 
Dear Brevoort : — 

I have been constantly intending to write to you ; 
but you know the hurry and confusion of the life I 
at present lead, and the distraction of thought which 
it occasions, and which is totally hostile to letter 
writing. The letter, however, which you have been 
so good as to write me, demands a return of one 
kind or another ; and so I answer it, partly thi'ough 
a sense of duty, nd partly in hopes of inducing 
you to write another. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 195 

My journey to Baltimore was terrible and sublime 
— as full of adventurous matter and direful peril as 
one of Walter Scott's pantomimic, melo-dramatlc, 
romantic tales. I was three days on the road, and 
slept one night in a log-house. Yet somehow or an- 
other, I lived through it all ; and lived merrily into 
the bargain, for which I thank a large stock of good 
humor, which I put up before my departure from 
New York, as travelling stores to last me throughout 
my expedition. In a word, I left home, determined 
to be pleased with everything, or if not pleased, to 
be amused, if I may be allowed the distinction, and I 
have hitherto kept to my determination. 

I remained two days in Baltimore, where I was 
very well treated, and was just getting into a very 
agreeable society, when the desire to get to Wash- 
ington induced me to set off abruptly, deferring all 
enjoyment of Baltimore until my return. While 
there I dined with Coale [the bookseller]. At his 
table I found Jarvis, who is in great vogue in Balti- 
more, painting all the people of note and fashion, 
and universally passing for a great wit, a fellow of 
infinite jest ; in short, " the agreeable rattle." I 
was likewise waited on by Mr. Tezier, the French 
gentleman who has translated my history of New 
York. He is a very pleasant, gentlemanly fellow, 
and we were very civil to each other, as you may 
suppose. He tells me he has sent his translation to 
Paris, where I suspect they will understand and relish 
It about as much as they would a Scotch haggis and 
a singed sheep's-head. 

The ride from Baltimore to Washington was still 
worse than the former one ; but I had two or three 
odd geniuses for fellow-passengers, and made out to 
amuse myself very well. I arrived at the inn about 
dusk; and understanding that Mrs. Madison was to 



196 LIFE AND LETTERS 

have Ler levee or drawing-room that very evening, I 
swore by all my gods I would be there. But how ? 
was the question. I had got away down into 
Georgetown, and the persons to whom my letters of 
introduction were directed, lived all upon Capitol 
Hill, about three miles off, while the President's 
house was exactly halfway. Here was a non-plus 
enough to startle any man of less enterprising spirit ; 
but I had sworn to be there, and I determined to 
keep my oath, and like Caleb Quotem, to " have a 
place at the Review." So I mounted with a stout 
heart to my room ; resolved to put on my pease 
blossoms and silk stockings ; gird up my loins ; sally 
forth on my expedition ; and like a vagabond knight- 
errant, trust to Providence for success and whole 
bones. Just as I descended from my attic chamber, 
full of this valorous spirit, I was met by my landlord, 
with whom, and the head waiter, by the bye, I had 
held a private cabinet counsel on the subject. Bully 
Rook informed me that there was a party of gentlemen 
just going from the house, one of whom, Mr. Fon- 
taine Maury of New York, had offered his services 
to introduce me to " the Sublime Porte." I cut one 
of my best opera flourishes ; skipped into the dress- 
ing room, popped my head into the hands of a san- 
guinary Jacobinical barber, who carried havoc and 
desolation into the lower regions of my face ; mowed 
down all the beard on one of my cheeks and laid the 
other in blood like a conquered province ; and thus, 
like a second Banquo, with " twenty mortal murthers 
on my head," in a few minutes I emerged from dirt 
and darkness into the blazing splendor of Mr. Madi- 
son's drawing-room. Here I was most graciously re- 
ceived ; found a crowded collection of great and little 
men, of ugly old women and beautiful young ones, 
and in ten minutes was hand and glove with half the 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 197 

people In the assemblage. Mrs. Madison is a fine, 
portly, buxom dame, who has a smile and a pleasant 
word for everybody 

Since that memorable evening I have been in a 
constant round of banqueting, reveling, and dancing. 
The Congress has been sitting with closed doors, so 
that I have not seen much of the wisdom of the na- 
tion ; but I have had enough matter for observation 
and entertainment to last me a handful of months. 
I only want a chosen fellow like yourself to help mc 
wonder, admire, and laugh — as it is, I must en- 
deavor to do these things as well as I can by myself. 

I am delightfully moored " head and stern " in the 
family of John P. Van Ness, brother of William P. 
He is an old friend of mine, and insisted on my 
coming to his house the morning after my arrival. 
The family is very agreeable. 

The other evening, at the City Assembly, I was 
suddenly introduced to my cousin, the Congressman 
from Scaghticoke, and we forthwith became two most 
loving fHends. 

is here, and " my brother George " 

into the bargain. is endeavoring to obtain a 

deposit in the Mechanic's Bank, in case the U. S. 
Bank does not obtain a charter. He is as deep as 
usual ; shakes his head, and winks through his spec- 
tacles at everybody he meets. He swore to me the 
other day, that he had not told anyi)ody what his 
opinion was, whether the bank ought to have a char- 
ter or not ; nobody in AVashington knew what his 
opinion was — not one — nobody — he defied any 
one to say what it was — " any body — damn the 
one — no, sir — nobody knows " — and, if he had 

added nobody cares, I believe honest would 

have been exactly in the right. Then there's his 
orother ^' damn that fellow — knows eisrht or 



198 LIFE AND LETTERS 

nine languages — yes, sir — nine languages — Ara- 
bic, Spanish, Greek, Ital — and there's his wife 
now — slie and Mrs. Madison are always together. 
Mrs. Madison has taken a great fancy to her little 
daughter ; only think, sir, that child is only six years 
old, and talks the Italian like a book, by God — lit- 
tle devil learnt it all from an Italian servant — 

damned clever fellow — lived with my brother 

ten years — says he would not part with him for all 
Tripoli," etc., etc., etc. 

A letter to Mrs. Hoffman, from Washington, 
at this time, concludes with the following mes- 
sage to Mrs. Renwick : — 

When you see my good friend Mrs. Renwick, tell 
her I feel great compunction at having deprived her 
of her Tartan pladdie all the winter ; but if it will 
be any gratification to her, she may be assured it has 
been of signal comfort to me, and has occasionally 
served as a mantle to some of the prettiest girls in 
Washington. 

This lady, whose name will be held in honor 
as the heroine of " The Blue-eyed Lassie " of 
Burns, was the daughter of the Rev. Andrew 
Jeffrey, of Lochmaben, in Dumfrieshire, Scot- 
land. She was early transplanted to these 
shores, and passed the greater part of her life in 
the city of New York, where her house was a 
cherished resort of Mr. Irving. A brief and 
well-written Memoir of her, by Mrs Balmanno, 
printed privately for her family and friends, 
speaks of her as follows : " Up to the advanced 
age of seventy-seven, she adorned a high social 
position with all those qualities of heart and 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 193 

mind, all those sweet and captivating amenities 
of manner, which had, in her youth, when joined 
to great personal attractions, rendered her one of 
the most fascinating maidens of Annandale." 
She often met the Scottish poet at her father's 
fireside, and beside " the bUie-eyed Lassie," he 
made her the subject of another song, " When 
first I saw my Jeanie's face," which is contained 
in the memoir above mentioned. As this effu- 
sion has never appeared in any collection of the 
works of the immortal bard, I am tempted to 
quote the fine compliment of the concluding 
stanza : — 

" But sair, I doubt some happier swain 
Has gained my Jeanie's favor, 
If sae may every bliss be hers, 
The' I can never have her. 

" But gang she east, or gang she west, 
'Twixt Nith and Tweed all over, 
While men have eyes, or ears, or taste, 
She'll always find a lover." 

It was to the subject of this poetic effusion, 
that the author of the " Sketch Book " was in- 
debted for the slip of ivy from Melrose, which 
she planted with her own hands, and lived to see, 
running in rich luxuriance over the walls of 
Sunnyside. 

I give some further letters of this period : — 

Washington, Feb. 7, 1811. 
Dear Brevoort : — 

I am ashamed at not having answered your letter 
before, but I am too much occupied and indeed dis- 
tracted here by the multiplicity of objects before me, 
to write with any degree of coherency. 



200 LiFE AND LETTERS 

I wish with all my heart you had lome on witb 
me, for my time has passed delightfully. I have be- 
come acquainted with almost everybody here, and 
find the most complete medley of character I ever 
mingled amongst. As I do not suffer party feelings 
to bias my mind, I have associated with both parties, 
and have found worthy and intelligent men in both, 
with honest hearts, enlightened minds, generous feel- 
ings, and bitter prejudices. A free communication 
of this kind tends more than anything else to divest 
a man's mind of party bigotry ; to make him regard- 
less of those jaundiced representations of persons 
and things which he is too apt to have held up to 
him by party writers, and to beget in him that can- 
did, tolerant, good-natured habit of thinking, which 
I think every man that values his own comfort and 
utility should strive to cultivate. 

You would be amused, were you to arrive here 
just now, to see the odd and heterogeneous circle of 
acquaintance I have formed. One day I am dining 
with a knot of honest, furious Federalists, who are 
damning all their opponents as a set of consummate 
scoundrels, panders of Bonaparte, etc., etc. The 
next day I dine, perhaps, with some of the very men 
I have heard thus anathematized, and find them 
equally honest, warm, and indignant ; and if I take 
their word for it, I had been dining the day before 
with some of the greatest knaves in the nation, men 
absolutely paid and suborned by the British govern- 
ment. 

To show you the mode of life I lead, I give you 
my engagements for this week. On Monday I dined 
with the mess of officers at the barracks ; in the 
evening a ball at Van Ness's. On Tuesday with my 
cousin Knickerbocker and several merry Federalists. 
Ou Wednesday I dined with General Turreau, who 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 201 

had a very pleasant party of Frenchmen and demo- 
crats ; in the evening at Mrs. Madison's levee, which 
■was brilliant and crowded with interesting men and 
fine women. On Thursday a dinner at Latrobe's. 
On Friday a dinner at the Secretary of the Xavy's, 
and in the evening a ball at the Mayor's. Saturday 
as yet is unengaged. At all these parties you meet 
with so many intelligent people that your mind is 
continually and delightfully exercised. 

The Supreme Court has likewise within a day or 
two brought a crowd of new strangers to the city. 
Jo. Ingersoll, Clement Biddle, Clymer, Goodloe Har- 
per, and several others have arrived 

This place would suit you to a fraction, as you could 
find company suitable to every varying mood of 
mind, and men capable of conversing and giving you 
information on every subject on which you might 
wish to be informed. 

To make intelligible the following interesting 
portion of a reply to a letter of his brother Wil- 
liam, it is necessary to premise, tliat his name 
had been suggested as Secretary of Legation to 
France, under Joel Barlow as Minister. The au- 
thor of the " Colunibiad," however, had somehow 
or other associated him with some strictures on 
his Epic of which he was innocent, and would 
not be likely to incline to such a secretary. 

\_To William Irving.'] 

Washington, Feb. 9, 1811. 
My dear Brother: — 

I am very much obliged to you for your kind let- 
ter of the 5th. I had begun to feel quite impatient 
At not hearing from home, and to think that the news 



202 LIFE AND LETTERS 

I occasionally scribbled from here might be of little 

importance 

Your opinion with respect to the matter I hinted 
at has decided me, should anything of the kind be 
proposed. I have heard, however, nothing further 
on the subject, and do not suffer it to occupy my 
thoughts much. I should only look upon it as an 
advantageous opportunity of acquiring information 
and materials for literary purposes, as I do not feel 
much ambition or talents for political life. Should 
I not be placed in the situation alluded to, I shall 
pursue a plan I had some time since contemplated, 
of studying for a while, and then travelling about the 
country for the purpose of observing the manners 
and characters of the various parts of it, with a 
view to writing a work, which, if I have any ac- 
quaintance with my own talents, will be far more 
profitable and reputable than anything 1 have yet 
written. Of this, however, you will not speak to 
others. But whatever I may write in future I am 
determined on one thing — to dismiss from my mind 
all party prejudice and feeling as much as possible, 
and to endeavor to contemplate every subject with a 
candid and good-natured eye. 

Whether the author ever finished the contem- 
plated plan of study, here alluded to, does not 
appear ; but certain it is, that the literary prom- 
ise of this letter v^as never fulfilled. The work, o^ 
the nature and design of which we have only this 
imperfect intimation, was not even commenced. 

In the letter which follows, we have, with other 
pQatters, further allusion to the appointment . — 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING, 203 

[To William Irving.'] 

Washington, Feb. 36, 1811. 

.... The discussion of the Bank qusstion 
Is going on vigorously in the Senate. Giles made a 
very ingenious speech both for and against it. He 
was opposed to the Bank, but the enemies of the 
Bank thought he had done their cause more harm 
than any that had spoken on the opposite side. It 
seems Giles was compelled to take the side he did by 
the instructions of his constituents, but like an ele- 
phant he trampled down his own army. I was very 
much pleased with his speaking; he is a close rea- 
soner and very perspicuous. Clay, from Kentucky, 
spoke against the Bank. He is one of the finest 
fellows I have seen here, and one of the finest ora- 
tors in the Senate, though I believe the youngest 
man in it. The galleries, however, were so much 
crowded with ladies and gentlemen, and such ex- 
pectations had been expressed concerning his speech, 
that he was completely frightened and acquitted him- 
self very little to his own satisfaction. When his 
speech is printed, I will send it to you ; he is a man 
I have great personal regard for 

As to the appointment of which I spoke to you, 1 
do not indulge any sanguine hopes about it, and don't 
trouble myself on that score. I find that it has beei? 
the custom to leave the choice to the minister him- 
self, in which case I have no chance. The Secretary 
Df State was the first person who suggested the idea, 
and he is very solicitous for it ; indeed, I have ex- 
perienced great civility from him while here. The 
President, on its being mentioned to him, said some 
/ery handsome things of me, and I make no doubt 
will express a wish in my favor on the subject, more 
3spec'ally as Mrs. Madison is a sworn friend of mine, 



204 LIFE AND LETTERS 

and Indeed all the ladies of tlie household and my- 
self great cronies. I shall let the thing take it.s 
chance. I have made no application, neither shall I 
make any ; and if I go away from Washington with 
nothing but the great good will that has been ex- 
pressed and manifested towards me, I shall thank 
God for all his mercies, and think I have made a 
very advantageous visit. 

To the same brother he writes, February 20, 
1811: — 

The non-intercourse question will come before the 
House either to-morrow or next day, and the discus- 
sion will be extremely animated Jack 

Kandolph has been keeping himself up for the non- 
intercourse question, and I expect will attack it with 
all his forces. There is no speaker in either house 
that excites such universal attention as Jack Ran- 
dolph. But they listen to him more to be delighted 
by his eloquence and entertained by his ingenuity 
and eccentricity, than to be convinced by sound doc- 
trine and close argument. 

\_To Henry Brevoort.'] 

Washington, March 5, 1811. 

I shall leave this city the day after 
to-morrow. I should have gone to-morrow, but the 
Bta^e books are full. You cannot imagine how for- 
lorn this desert city appears to me, now the great 
tide of casual population has rolled away. The three 
or four last days have been quite melancholy. Hav- 
ino; formed a great number of intimate and agreeable 
acquaintances, I have been continually taking leave 
of persons for whom I had contracted a regard, and 
who are dispersing to various parts of tliis immense 
country, without much chance of our ever meeting 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 205 

one another again. I think nothing would tempt me 
to remain again in Washington, until the breaking 
up of Congress ; unless I might start off with the 
first of the tide. 

P. S. — About the time you receive this, I expect 
" my cousin " Knickerbocker will arrive in N. Y. ; I 
wish you would call at the City Hotel, and look for 
him, and give him some attention among you ; he is 
a right honest, sound-hearted, pleasant fellow. 

[To the same.'] 

Philadelphia, March 16, 1811. 

My dear Fellow : — 

I arrived in this city the day before yesterday, and 
was delighted to find a letter from you, waiting for 
me on Charles' mantel-piece. I thank you for this 
mark of attention, and for the budget of amusing 
and interesting news you have furnished me with. I 
stopped but four days at Baltimore on my return ; 
one of which I was confined at home by indisposi- 
tion. The people of Baltimore are exceedingly social 
and very hospitable to strangers ; and I saw that if 
I let myself once get into the stream, I should not be 
able to get out again under a fortnight at least ; so 
being resolved to push homewards as expeditiously 
as was reasonably possible, I resisted the world, the 
lesh, and the devil at Baltimore ; and after three 
days and nights' stout carousal, and a fourth's sick- 
ness, sorrow, and repentance, I hurried off from that 
sensual city. By the bye, that little " Hydra and 
chimera dire," Jarvis, is in prodigious great circula- 
tion at Baltimore. The gentlemen have all voted 
him a rare wag and most brilliant wit ; and the la- 
dies pronounce him one of the queerest, ugliest, most 
agreeable little creatures in the world. The conse- 



206 LIFE AND LETTERS 

quence is that there Is not a ball, tea-party, concert, 
supper, or any other private regale, but that Jarvis 
is the most conspicuous personage ; and, as to a din- 
ner, they can no more do without him, than they 
could without Friar John at the roystering revels of 
the renowned Pantagruel. He is overwhelmed with 
business and pleasure, his pictures admired and ex- 
tolled to the skies, and his jokes industriously re- 
peated and laughed at 

Jack Randolph was at Baltimore for a day or two 
after my arrival. He sat to Jarvis for a likeness for 
one of the Ridgeley's, and consented that I should 
have a copy. I am in hopes of receiving it before 
I leave Philadelphia, and of bringing it home with 
me 

I was out visiting with Ann yesterday, and met 
that little assemblage of smiles and fascinations, Mary 
Jackson. She was bounding with youth, health and 
innocence, and good humor. She had a pretty straw 
hat tied under her chin with a pink ribbon, and 
looked like some little woodland nymph, just lured 
out by spring and fine weather. God bless her light 
heart, and grant that it may never know care or sor- 
row 1 it's enough to cure spleen and melancholy only 
to look at her. 

Your familiar pictures of home make me extremely 
desirous again to be there. It will be impossible 
however, to get away from the kind attentions of 
our friends in this city, until some time next week, 
perhaps towards the latter end, when I shall once 
more return to sober life, satisfied with having se- 
cured three months of sunshine in this valley of 
shadows and darkness 

I rejoice to hear of the approaching nuptials of 
our redoubtable Highland chieftain, and hope you 
are preparing a grand Epithalamium for the joyful 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 207 

occasion. Remember me affectionately to the Hoff- 
mans, Kembles, etc. Yours ever, 

W. Irving. 

March 18th he writes to Brevoort : — 

I shall be with you in a few days, and then we 
will look out for Gouv, and prepare for the captain's 
Hymeneals. 

He had hardly reached New York, however, 
before he found himself constrained to return to 
Washington — apparently on some mission of 
commercial necessity. He writes thence to Bre- 
voort, April 2d, 1811: — 

I have been whirled here with such rapidity, that 
I can scarcely realize the transition ; it is quite con- 
trary to my loitering hospitable mode of travelling. 
I have seen nobody on my route but the elegant Jar- 
vis, whom I found sleeping on a sofa bed in his 
painting room, like a sleeping Venus, and his beau- 
tiful dog couched at his feet. I aroused the varlet, 
and bid him on pain of death to have the likeness of 
Randolph done on my return ; he breakfasted with 
Us, and entertained us with several jokes, which had 
passed the ordeal of Baltimore dinner tables. 

In the following letter to Brevoort from Phila- 
delphia on his return, we have an allusion to 
George Frederick Cooke, the great actor, who 
had come the year previous to this country, in 
which he died in 1812. 

Philadelphia, April 11, 1811. 
pEAR Brevoort : — 

I have neglected answering your letter from au 
expectation that I should hav^ been home before 



208 LIFE AND LETTERS 

this ; but 1 have suffered day after day to slip by, 
and here I still am, in much the same mood as you 
are when in bed of a fine genial morning, endeavor- 
ing to prolong the indolent enjoyment, to indulge in 
another doze, and renew those delicious half-waking 
dreams that give one an idea of a Mussulman's para- 
dise. 

I have for a few months past led such a pleasant 
life, that I almost shrink from awaking from it into 
the commonplace round of regular existence ; " but 
this eternal blazon must not be " (Shakespeare), so 
in two or three days I'll take staff in hand and re- 
turn to the land of my fathers. To tell the truth, 
I have been induced to stay a day or two longer than 
I otherwise would have done, to have the gratifica- 
tion of seeing Cooke in Kitely and Lear ; the first 
he plays to-night, the other on Wednesday. The old 
fellow is in great repute here, and draws excellent 
houses. I stopped in accidentally at the theatre a few 
evenings since, when he was playing Macbeth ; not 
expecting to receive any pleasure, for you recollect 
lie performed it very indifferently in New York. I 
entered just at the time when he was meditating the 
murder, and I remained to the end of the play in a 
state of admiration and delight. The old boy abso- 
lutely out-did himself; his dagger scene, his entrance 
to Duncan's chamber, and his horror after the com- 
mission of the deed, completed a dramatic action 
that I shall never forget as long as I live ; it was 
sublime. I place the performance of that evening 
among the highest pieces of acting I have ever 
witnessed. You know I had before considered 
Cooper as much superior to him in Macbeth, but 
on this occasion the character made more impression 
on ^le than when played by Cooper, or even Kemble. 
Xb'i more I see of Cooke, the more I admire his 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 209 

style of acting ; he is very unequal, from his irreg- 
ular habits and nervous affections ; but when he is 
in proper mood, there is a truth, and, of course, a 
simplicity in his performance, that throws all rant, 
stage-trick, and stage-effect completely in the back- 
ground. Were he to remain here a sufficient time 
for the public to perceive and dwell upon his merits, 
and tlie true character of his playing, he would pro- 
duce a new taste in acting. One of his best per- 
formances may be compared to a master-piece of an- 
cient statuary, where you have the human figure, 
destitute of idle ornament, depending upon the truth 
of anatomical proportion and arrangement, the ac- 
curacy of character and gracefulness of composition ; 
in short, a simple display of nature. Such a pro- 
duction requires the eye of taste and knowledge 
to perceive its eminent excellences ; whereas, a vul- 
gar spectator will turn from it to be enraptured with 
some bungling workmanship, loaded with finery and 
drapery, and all the garish ornaments in which un- 
skillfulness takes refuge. 

Sully has finished a very fine and careful portrait 
of Cooke, and has begun a full-length picture of him 
in the character of Richard. This he is to receive 
three hundred dollars for from the gentlemen of 
Philadelphia who opened a subscription for the pur- 
pose, which was filled up in an hour. The picture 
is to be placed in the Academy of Arts 

Walsh's 2d number will be out in two or three 
days ; I have seen it, but not had time to read more 
than a few pages of a masterly review of Hamilton's 
works. I think the number will do him great credit. 

Give my love to all who love me, and remember 
me kindly to the rest. Yours truly, 

W. 1. 

VOL. I. 14 



210 LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 

I know ni)t how soon it was after his return to 
New York, that he witnessed a performance of 
Cooke, of another sort, which I have heard him 
describe. It was at his benelit at the Park thea- 
tre, and he was to play Shylock and Sir Archy 
MacSarcasm. Mr. Irving was in a stage box. 
He went through Shylock admirably, but had 
primed himself with drink, to such a degree, be- 
fore the commencement of the afterpiece, that he 
was not himself. His condition was so apparent 
that they hurried through the piece, and skipped, 
and curtailed, to have the curtain fall, when lo ! 
as it was descending, Cooke stepped out from 
under it and presented himself before the foot- 
lights, to make a speech. Instantly there were 
shouts from the pit : " Go home — Cooke — go 
home — you're drunk." Cooke kept his ground. 
" Didn't I please you in Shylock ? " " Yes — yes 
— you played that nobly." "Well, then, the 
man who played Shylock well couldn't be drunk." 
" You weren't drunk then, but you're drunk now," 
was the rejoinder, and ihey continued to roar : 
" Go home — go home — go to bed." Cooke, 
indignant, tapped the handle of his sword em- 
phatically : " 'Tis but a foil ; " then extending his 
right arm to the audience, and shaking his 
finger at them — " 'tis well for you, it is," and 
marched oflf amid roars of laughter. It was a 
rich scene. 




CHAPTER XVI. 

Change of Quarters. — Literary Relaxation. — Passages of a 
Letter to Brevoort. — Breaking out of the War. — Letter 
of James K. Paulding. — Visit to Washington.— Letter 
to James Ren wick. — Letter to Peter L-ving. — To Bre- 
voort. 

N the spring of 1811, Washington, who 
had hitherto resided with his mother, 
took up his quarters with Brevoort, at 
IMrs. Rjckman's, in Broadway, near the Bowl- 
ing Green. Here they had a parlor in common, 
with hedrooms off, and Brevoort had a large and 
well-selected libi-ary, which was always at the 
command of his companion. This would seem 
to have been a situation propitious to literary 
labor, yet, with the exception of a revised edition 
of the " History of New York," the two years 
spent here were barren of literary fruit. He 
had at first intended a pretty thorough dedica- 
tion of his time and talents to these congenial 
pursuits, but this purpose, however sincerely en- 
tertained, soon lost its sway over him. The 
^pur of necessity was needed to quicken and in- 
vigorate his literary ambition, which gradually 
wore off under the temptations to ease and indo- 
lence which his circumstances offeied, until at 
'ast he settled down into a sort of wntleman of 



212 LIFE AND LETTERS 

leisure ; not neglectful of mental cultivation, it is 
true, yet mainly intent upon the pleasures and 
amusements of the passing hour. Not without 
a shade of self-upraiding, however, did he sur- 
render himself to the indulgence of such entire 
literary relaxation. His conscience often smote 
him during this interval, I have heard him say, 
that he did not devote himself more closely to 
his pen ; but his compunction was not sufficiently 
keen to break the spell which held his faculties 
in bondage. 

In March of the following year, Brevoort 
sailed for Europe, leaving Irving at Mrs. Ryck- 
man's, in possession of his library, but sadly mis- 
sing his intellectual sympathy and companion- 
ship, and earnestly longing for his return from 
an absence which was unexpectedly lengthened 
to twenty months. " I have not been very well 
since your departure," he writes to him, March 
17th, "and am completely out of spirits. I do 
miss you terribly. 1 dined yesterday at a small 
part}'' at Mrs. Ren wick's, and was at a tea-party 
in the evening ; and yet passed one of the 
heaviest days J have toiled through this long 
time." Brevoort, too, seems to have felt the 
separation, and writes : " I long to fill the vacant 
chair, on tlie opposite side of the well-recollected 
table in our private .'^anctuary. Ah ! how often 
has that friendly table sustained your incumbent 
head of a winter's evening ! What treasures of 
moral precepts ami good-humored sallies has that 
lable witnessed ! enough to reform a guilty wo^'ld, 
but alas ! foie. er lost to an admiring posterity." 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 213 

lu a letter to Brevoort, of March 29, 1812, we 
have this allusion to the revised edition of Knick- 
erbocker, upon which he had been engaged : — 

I have been so much occupied of late, partly by a 
severe indisposition of my good old mother (who has, 
however, recovered), and partly by my History, that 
I have not had time to write you a letter worth 
readino:. I will atone for it hereafter. I have con- 
eluded my bargain with Inskeep and am about 
publishing. I receive $1,200 at sLx months for an 
edition of 1,500 copies. He takes all the expense of 
printing, etc., on himself. 

In this edition he dropped the dedication to 
the New York Historical Society. 

The war between Great Britain and the 
United States, which broke out in June, 1812, 
presented no very comfortable prospect to the 
merchant, and Mr. Irving seems to have enter- 
tained the most serious forebodings of its effect 
upon the commercial interests. It was probably 
this circumstance, that turned his thoughts once 
more into the channel of liteiature, and induced 
him to harbor a project of a joint undertaking 
with Paulding, which is alluded to at the close 
of the following extract from a letter of the lat- 
ter. The letter transmits a copy of Pauld- 
ing's " Diverting History of John Bull and 
Brother Jonathan," and is addressed to Wash- 
ington at the residence of Captain Phillips, that 
favorite rendezvous in the Highlands, to which 
.le had gone in August : — 



214 LIFE AND LETTERS 

September 5th, 1812. 
Dear Washington; — 

I send you a copy of " John Bull," who has made 
some talk here, but I believe don't sell very well ; 
for what reason I leave you to judge, it being such 
an excellent work. There has been an advertise- 
ment in the papers for a week past, noticing the 
intended publication of a work, called " The Beauties 
of Brother Bullus, by his sister Miss Bull — a." The 
title, I think, is not very promising ; and I have dis- 
covered that it is written against my Bull. Inskeep 
says it is the joint production of Parson Mason and 
his Polygraph Bristed, so you see what Goliaths are 
coming forth against me. If this piece should be 
illiberal towards me, and I can once fasten it upon 
these jockeys, I think there will be a little sport, 
particularly if you should be here and inclined to 
lend a hand. I have finished the draft of one essay 
and am at work with another ; so you see I don't 
forget the main object of our lives ; nor do I mean to 
suffer myself to be involved in any controversy that 
will interfere with our contemplated undertaking. 

What this contemplated undei'taking vi^as does 
not appear. It was never carried out, very pos- 
sibly from Mr. Irving's being soon after induced 
to listen to a proposition to assume the conduct 
of a periodical magazine, the " Select Reviews," 
'u which Paulding also found scope for his pen. 

In the autumn of 1812, Mr. Irving was se- 
lected to form one of a Committee of Mer- 
chants, deputed by the commercial community to 
repair to the seat of government, to obtain a re- 
mission of their bonds. This kept him for six 
weeks at Washington During this period, he 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 215 

addressed several letters to James Ren wick, then 
at the early age ot* nineteen filling gratuitously 
the chair of Natural Philosophy in Columbia 
College, made vacant by the death of his relative. 
Dr. Kemp. I liave space only for the last, which 
treats of the " Select Reviews " he had under- 
taken to edit and makes allusion to a matrimonial 
report, out of which, no doubt, his friends were 
having a little fun at his expense. 

[To James Renwick.'] 

Washington, Dec. 18, 1812. 
Dear James : — 

In one of your letters you desired to know when 
I would be in Philadelphia, and you proposed pass- 
ing the hoUdays there. I forgot to answer the ques- 
tion, nor would I have been able to have done it 
with certainty. I now expect to leave this city to- 
morrow. Our business is yet undecided, and will 
probably linger through several days more ; but I 
consider the battle as won ; and, as there are enough 
here without me, to take care of our interests ; and 
as it is very important I should be elsewhere, I have 
made up my mind to depart. I may possibly stop a 
day in Baltimore, as I shall meet Gouverneur Kem- 
ble there, and I wish to give him a farewell cheer- 
ing ; I shall then make the best of my way to Phila- 
delphia, where I shall probably pass sonie days ; but, 
if possible, I will pass my holidays in New York. I 
never wish to spend the merry Christmas and jolly 
New Year elsewhere than in the gamesome city of 
the Manhattoes. 

My dear fellow, you cannot Imagine how I long 
to be once more at home, to doff this burden of care 
and business, and resume what the " Portfolio " calls 



216 LIFE AND LETTERS 

my " elegant leisure." By-the-bye, I have been 
"stayed with flagons and comforted with apples" by 
these editors and newspaper writers, until I am sick 
of puffing. This " Select Review " has drawn upon 
me such an abundance of worthless compliments, that 
I really stagger under the trash. Add to this, my 
publisher .... has been advertising, every day 
or two, some new addition and improvement to be 
made to the " Select Reviews," of which I have known 
nothing until I saw the advertisements. At one 
time there is to be a series of portraits of our naval 
commanders, with biographical sketches. At an- 
other a history of the events of our maritime war, 
etc., on the plan of — the British Naval chronicle ! 
and here am I — poor I — while absent here, tied by 
the leg to the footstool of Congress, most wickedly 
made the editor of a vile farrago, a congregation of 
heterogeneous articles, that have no possible affinity 
to one another. 

I have written to Philadelphia that I would not 
consent to have such a fool's cap put on my head ; 
and if they intended to interfere in the conduct of 
the work, I should decline having anything to do 
with it. I think Job was a little out when he 
wished that his enemy had written a book ; had he 
wished him to be obliged to print one, he would 
have wished him a curee indeed! .... 

Tell your good lady mother that Mrs. Madison 
has been much indisposed, and at last Wednesday 
evening's drawingroom Mrs. Gallatin presided in her 
place ; I was not present, but those who were, assure 
me she filled Mrs. Madison's chair to a miracle. 
You may likewise tell her that she may call in her 

report about Madame and myself as soon as 

she pleases, for it is all over with me in that quar- 
ter ; I was last evening to have been introduced to 



OF WASHINGTON IRVINi}. 217 

her, and to liave gone on a little moonlight party to 
Mason's Island ; you may suppose what a favorable 
opportunity it Avas for sentiment and romance. As 
my unlucky stars would have it, I dined with a 
choice party at the Speaker's, drank wine, got gay, 
went home, fell asleep by the fireside, and forgot all 

about Madame until this morning. Do beg 

your mother, for God's sake, to look out for some 
other lady for me. I am not particular about her 
being a princess, provided she has plenty of money, 
a pretty face, and no understanding. 

God bless you, 

W. I. 

Not long after the date of this extract he had 
returned to " the gamesome city of the Manhat- 
toes," whence he addressed the following let- 
ters : — 

\_To Peter Irving at Liverpool.'] 

New York, Dec. 30, 1812. 
.... I mentioned in former letters that I had 
undertaken to conduct the " Select Reviews" at a 
salary of 1,500 dollars. It is an amusing occupation, 
without any mental responsibility of consequence. I 
felt very much the want of some such task in my 
idle hours : there is nothins; so irksome as havinsj 
nothing to do. You will, in future, send the period- 
ical publications to me, and from time to time send 
an account of cost and charges, that I may settle 
with my bookseller. I wish you also to forward, as 
soon as they can be procured, copies of new works 
that appear, that are not of a local or too exj ensive 
nature, fit for republication in this country. I sup- 
pose you can make arrangements with the principal 
booksellers to this eficct, who would be attentive to 



218 LIFE AND LETTERS 

so regular a customer. Any periodical work, besides 
those at present sent, which you may think of import- 
ance, I wish you to subscribe to. 

We are all alive, at present, in consequence of 
our naval victories. God knows they were well- 
timed to save the national spii-it from being de- 
pressed and humiliated by the paltry war on the 
frontiers. The impolicy of depending on militia and 
volunteers is now made glaringly apparent, particu- 
larly for offensive war, and the nation is incensed at 
having its character for bravery jeoparded by such 
short-sighted measures and such miserable military 
quacks as have been bolstered into command. Should 
this war continue, resort will be had to regular forces, 
a larger army will be raised by means of increased 
bounty and pay ; and from the evidences given by our 
regular troops whenever they have had an oppor- 
tunity to grapple with the foe, I make no doubt that 
they will sustain the national character as gallantly 
on land as it has been on the ocean 

The day before yesterday a public dinner was 
given in honor of Hull, Jones, and Decatur. It was 
the most splendid entertainment of the kind I ever 
witnessed. Tlie City Assembly Room was decorated 
in a very tasteful manner with the colors and flags 
of the Macedonian. Five rows of tables were laid 
out lengthways in the room, and a table across the 
top of the room, elevated above the rest, where the 
gallant heroes were seated, in company with several 
of our highest civil and military officers. Upwards 
of four hundred citizens of both parties sat down to 
the dinner, which was really sumptuous. The room 
was decorated with transparencies representing the 
battles, etc. The tables were ornamented with va- 
rious naval trophies, and the whole entertainment 
wQut off with a soul and spirit which I never before 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 219 

witnessed. I never in my life before felt tlie na- 
tional feeling so strongly aroused, for I never before 
saw in ^his country so true a cause for national 

triumph 

P. S. I had almost forgot to mention that Dun- 
lap has nearly finished a Biography of Cooke. He 
wishes to send a copy of the MSS. out to you and 
get you to dispose of it advantageously for him. He 
will write to you particularly on the subject, and, as 
he is an old friend and a very worthy man, I make no 
doubt you will do everything in your power to bene- 
fit him 

[To Henry Brevoort.'] 

New York, Jan. 2, 1813. 

. . . . I am now once more at my old quar- 
ters, and am at this moment writing at my usual 
corner of the table before the fire, which honest John 
has just trimmed and replenished ; would to heaven, 
my dear fellow, you were, as formerly, seated op- 
posite to me 1 I cannot tell you, my good Hal, how 
very much I miss you. I feel just as I did after the 
departure of my brother Peter, whose place you had, 
in a manner, grown into and supplied. The worthy 
Patroon, also, has departed for Spain, to reside at 
Cadiz, and, though I rejoice in his good prospects, 
yet I cannot but deplore his departure. So we get 
scattered over this troubled world — this making of 
fortunes is the very bane of social life ; but, I trust, 
when they are made, we shall all gather together 
again and pass the rest of our lives with one an- 
other. 

When you return we must determine on some new 
mode of living, for I am heartily tired of this board- 
ing-hoise system. Perhaps it will be better to get 



220 LIFE AND LETTERS 

a handsome set of apartments and furn sh them. 
But of this we will talk further when we meet. I 
was at your father's two or three days since. The 
old gentleman is highly tickled with the success of 
our navy. He was so powerfully excited by the cap- 
ture of the Macedonian, that he actually performed 
a journey to the Brothers, above Hellgate, where the 
frigates lay, wind-bound ; and he brought away a 
piece of the Macedonian, which he seemed to treas- 
ure up with as much devotion as a pious Catholic 
does a piece of the true cross. Your mother is well, 
and is looking forward with the utmost impatience 
for your return. 

A few days since we had a superb dinner given to 
the naval heroes, at which all the great eaters and 
drinkers of the city were present. It was the no- 
blest entertainment of the kind I ever witnessed. 
On New Year's eve a grand ball was likewise given, 
where there was a vast display of great and little 
people. Little Rule Britannia made a gallant ap- 
pearance at the head of a train of beauties, among 

whom were the divine H , who looked very 

inviting, and little Taylor, who looked still more so. 

Britannia was gorgeously dressed in a queer kind 
of hat of stift' purple and silver stuff, that had mar- 
velously the appearance of copper, and made us 
suppose she had procured the real Mambrino's hel- 
met. Her dress was trimmed with what we simply 
mistook for scalps, and supposed it was in honor of 
the nation ; but Ave blushed at our ignorance on dis- 
covering that it was a gorgeous trimming of marten 
tips — would that some eminent furrier had been 
there to wonder and admire. 

The little Taylor was as amusing and fascinating 
as ever. She is an arrant little tory, and enter- 
tained me exceedingly with her sly jokes upon our 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 221 

navy. She looks uncommonly well, and is as plump 
as a pai-tridge 

Oar winter does not promise to be as gay even as 
the last ; neither do I feel as much disposition to 
enter into dissipation. Mrs. Renwick's family is in 
mourning for the death of Dr. Kemp ; of course, 
they do not go abroad so much, and their fireside is 
more quiet and pleasant 

The Gracies are likewise in mourning for the 
death of old Mrs. Rogers, Mrs. Gracie's mother. 
IVIr. Gracie has moved into his new house, and I find 
a very warm reception at the fireside. Their coun- 
try-seat was one of my strongholds last summer, as 
I lived in its vicinity. It is a charming, warm- 
hearted family, and the old gentleman has the soul 
of a prince. 

This war has completely changed the 
face of things here. You would scarcely recognize 
our old peaceful city. Nothing is talked of but ar- 
mies, navies, battles, etc. Men who had loitered about, 
the hangere on and incumbrances of society, have all 
at once risen to importance and been the only useful 
men of the day. Had not the miserable accounts 
from our frontiers dampened in some measure the 
public zeal, I believe half our young men would have 
been military mad. As it is, if this war continue, 
and a regular army be raised, instead of depending 
on volunteers and militia, I believe we shall have 
Ae commissions sought after with avidity by young 
gentlemen of education and good breeding, and our 
army will be infinitely more respectable, and infi- 
nitely more successful. 

I hope this letter may find you on the eve of your 
departure for this country. I do long most earnestly 
to see you here again. I suppose ray brother will re- 
gain longer in Europe ; an<l much as I wish to see 



222 LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 

him home once more, I feel content that he should 
stay until he can return with money ir. both pockeis, 
and the whole of us be able to live after our own 
hearts for the rest of our lives. 

God bless you, my dear fellow. Yours ever. 

W. I. 
Mr, Henry Brevoort, Jr. 

The vessel being detained, he adds in a post- 
script of January 12th. 

Get my brothei Peter to have his likeness taken 
by some good painter, and bring it out with you — 
do not neglect this?' Look for scarce and odd books, 
and make up a collection of quaint and curious works. 
When at London visit the Talbot Inn Burrough, 
High Street, Southwark. It is tlie ancient Tabard 
Inn where your old friend Geoffrey Chaucer and his 
pilgrims lodged on their journey to Canterbury, 1383 ; 
and they pretend to show you the chamber where he 
supped — vide " Gentleman's Magazine " for Septem- 
ber, 1812. I happened to lay my hands on the pas- 
sage this morn i no-. 

1 Peter, though not ill-favored, would not consent then, oi 
ever, to have his Hkeness taken. 




CHAPTER XVII. 

The "Analectic Magazine " commenced. — His Contributions 
to it. — Letter to Ebenezer Irving. — Brevoort Transmits 
Scott's Opinion of the History of New York. — Introduces 
Francis Jeffrey. — Peter Irving and Campbell the Poet. — 
Letter of Peter Irving. — A Day at Sydenham. — Mrs. Sid- 
dons. — Brevoort's Return — Change of Quarters to Mrs. 
Bradish's. — Letter to Ebenezer Irving. 




ROM Edinburgh, where Brevoort was 
busily employed in various studies, 
which were enlivened by the kind at- 
tentions of a most intelligent circle of acquaint- 
ances, he writes to Washington, December 9th, 
1812: — 

I have just written to my friend Sherbette in Paris 
to use his utmost endeavors in procuring and for- 
warding to New York the different periodical jour- 
nals of France, as well as those of note published on 
the continent, such, for instance, as Kolzebue's, etc. 
All these are intended for the benefit of " The Inde- 
pendent Columbian Review," which I am happy to 
lt;arn, is soon to issue from Mulberry Street under 
the fostering care of Seth Handaside, Esq., already 
so advantageously known to the reading Avorld for 
his spirited efforts in the cause of letters. 

The work here playfully mentioned as " The 
Independent CcJunibian Review,"' was the " Select. 



224 LIFE AND LETTERS 

Reviews," a monthly periodical established in 
Philadelphia, to which allusion has been made m 
former letters. The name was changed to the 
" Analectic Magazine " when Mr. Jrving assumed 
the editorial charge. His contributions, extend- 
ing thTough the years 1813 and 1814, consisted 
of a review of the works of Robert Treat Paine, 
then dead ; a review of odes, naval songs, and 
other occasional poems by Edwin C. Holland of 
Charleston ; a notice of Paulding's '' Lay of the 
Scottish Fiddle ; " of Lord Byron ; " Traits of 
Indian Character," and " Philip of Pokanoket," 
afterwards incorporated in the " Sketch Book ; " 
and biographies of Captain James Lawrence, 
Lieutenant William Burrows, Commodore Oliver 
Perry, and Captain David Porter. 

There was also a biographical sketch of 
Tliomas Campbell, the poet, revised, corrected, 
and materially altered from the former, published 
in the March number of 1815. 

In addition to these productions from his own 
peu, he received occasional articles from Pauld- 
ing and Verplanck, which are designated by their 
respective initials, P. and V. 

The conduct of tiiis Magazine, which he had 
hoped to find a mere pastime, proved to be an 
irksome business. He had a great repugnance tc 
periodical labor of every description, and to one 
branch of it, criticism, his aversion was pointed, 
for he wished to be just, and could not hear to 
be severe. He shrunk from the idea of inflicting 
pain. " I do not profess," he says in one of his 
articles, " the art and mysteiy of reviewmg, and 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 22o 

am not ambitious of, being wise or facetious at 
the expense of oihers." The naval biographies 
afforded a more agreeable occupation. Jt was a 
proud satisfaction to record the triumphs, to quote 
the strong lansfuaue of a letter to his brother 
William, " of that choice band of gallant spirits 
who had borne up the drowning honor of their 
country by the very locks," aud he hoped by 
these hasty and imperfect sketches '' not merely 
to render a small tribute of gratitude to these 
intrepid champions of his country's honor," but 
to assist in promoting a higher tone of national 
feeling. 

It was about this period that Mr. Irving re- 
ceived from his friend Brevoort the letter of Scott 
already given, speaking in such cordial praise of 
his '• History of New York " ; — 

Before I left Edinburgh (he writes from London, 
June 24th), I presented Walter Scott with a copy of 
the second edition of Knickerbocker, in return for 
some very rare books that he gave me, respecting the 
early history of New England, I inclose you a let- 
ter that I received from him since. You must un- 
derstand his words literally, for he is too honest and 
too sincere a man to compliment any person. 

In tiie same letter, after giving a sketcii of Sir 
James Mackintosh and other luminaries whom he 
had met, Brevoort adds : — 

And now, having made you slightly acquainted 

with these enunent personages, let nie have a higher 

gratification in making you personally known to one 

of the most distinguished literary ornaments of this 

Vol,. I. 15 



226 LIFE AND LETTERS 

country. I mean Francis Jeffrey, Esq., of Edin- 
burgh, the coiicl meter ot the " Review." 

He is to embark from Liverpool in the ship Her- 
cutes by the 5tli of next month for Boston, accompa- 
nied by his brother, Mr. John Jeffrey, for the purpose 
of setthng some domestic concerns. I am deeply 
indebted to him, botb for his hospitality to me in 
Edinburgh, as well as for the letters he gave me to 
pt'j'sons in London. I have endeavored to repay him 
by giving him a letter to you, one to JVIr. Hoffman, 
one to our friend Mrs. Kenwick (who is his name- 
sake), and another to Judge Van Ness, besides many 
others to different parts of America. 

I enjoin it upon you all to receive him in the most 
friendly manner, so that I may make some returns to 
him. 

I really cannot fix upon any man in this country, 
whose acquaintance is better worth cultivating than 
Mr. J. You will find him full of the most precise as 
well as universal knowledoe of men and tinners on 
this side of the water, which he will delight to com- 
municate as cop.ously as you please. You will do 
well to see as much of him as you can ; he will be 
glad to make friends with you, and after you have 
become reconciled to somewhat of an artificial man- 
ner, you will find him one of the most sprightly and 
best-tempered men imaginable. 

As his introductory letters will be chiefly to per- 
sons connected with the Federal party, I wish you 
to make him known to both sides. It is essential 
that Jeffrey may imbibe a just estimate of the United 
States and its inhabitants ; he goes out strongly 
biased in our favor, and the influence of his good 
opinion upon his return to this country, would go far 
to efface the calumnies and the absurdities that have 
oeen laid to our charge by ignorant travellers. Per- 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 227 

luade him to visit Washington, and by all means to 
Bee the falls of Niagara : the obstacles which the war 
may oppose may be easily overcome, and at all events 
he may see them without ever crossing into Canada. 

As his business is wholly of a private nature, 
neither political nor commercial, I hope Government 
will not limit his motions. 

Your brother has also given Mr. J. a letter to you, 

Mr. Irving could not be indifferent to the pleas- 
ure of a meeting with this celebrated personage ; 
but whether he obeyed the injunction of his 
friend and saw as much of him as he could, I 
cannot say. I have heard him recall a dinner at 
Mr. Gracie's, in which he was particularly bril- 
liant, and he always spoke of him as one of the 
celebrities that did not disappoint you, whose con- 
versation was as eloquent as his reviews. 

In the autumn of this year Peter Irving had 
interested himself most warmly in behalf of 
Thomas Campbell, the poet, who was in great 
need of an American friend to secure for him the 
copyright of a work, which he meant to |)iiblii-h 
contemporaneously in England and the United 
States. Campbell says to him in a letter,, dated 
September 17, 1813 : *' I look back to the day we 
had to ourselves i\t Sydenham as one which I shall 
never forget ; " and in another, a month later (Oc- 
tober 19), in return for a copying-machine, which 
Peter had sent him, he writes : " It is really like 
a friend and most warm-hearted on your part to 
take such an interest in my new work. Your 
present shall be beside me, and my constant friend 
and memorial of you, as long a> 1 contiuuc to 



228 LIFE AND LETTERS 

Bcrihble prose or verse." December loth he in- 
vites him to Sydenham to meet Mrs. Siddons ; 
and here is Peter's hasty account of the visit in a 
letter to Washington : — 

London, Dec. 18, 1813. 
My dear Brother : — 

I this instant learn that a vessel is to sail from 
Liverpool, but that I must write this day, and the 
hour of limitation is nearly at hand 

The day before yesterday I passed delightfully 
with Campbell, the poet, in his retreat at Sydenham. 
I had also the further treat of meeting Mrs. Siddons 
there, and having considerable conversation with her 
during dinner. It was a rich gratification to^ee the 
Queen of Tragedy thus out of her robes. Yet her 
manner even at the social board still partakes of tlie 
state and gravity of tragedy. Not that there is an 
unwillingness to unbend, but that there is a difficulty 
in throwing aside the solemnity of long-acquired 
habit. She reminded me of Walter Scott's knights 
'' who carved the meal with their gloves of steel, and 
drank the red wine through their helmets barred." 
There was, however, entirely the disposition to be 
gracious, and to play her part like herself in conver- 
sation. She, therefore, exclianged anecdote and 
incident, in the course of which she detailed her 
feelings and reflections while wandering amonsc the 
sublime and romantic scenery of North Wales and 
on the summit of Pennmanmawr. As she did this, 
her eye kmdled and her features beamed, and in her 
countenance, which is indeed a volume where one 
may read strange matters, you might trace the vary- 
ing emotions of her soul. I was surprised to find 
her face, even at tlie near approach of sitting by her 
fide, absolutely luunlfcome, and unmarked with nny 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 229 

Df those wrinkles whicli generally attend advanced 
life. Her form is at present becoming unwieldly, 
but not shapeless, and is full of dignity. Her ges- 
tures and movements are eminently griiceful. !Mr. 
and Mrs. Campbell say that I was quite fortunate, 
and might flatter myself on her being so conversi- 
ble, for that she is very apt to be on the reserve 
towards strangers. The circumstance of being from 
another quarter of the world has given her an inter- 
est in the conversation she would not otherwise have 
felt. 

Campbell is just completing a work in three pretty 
thick octavo volumes. The subject is to be charac- 
ters of the principal poets, with specimens of their 
writing. From the passages he read to me from the 
account of Sir William Jones and some others, it will 
be a most eloquent and interesting work. He will 
wish you to dispose of tlie copyright in America, or 
make such arrangements as may be best ibr his inter- 
est. And as he intends the publication to be con- 
temporaneous in both countries, and contemplates to 
publish here about in June, it may be advisable for 
you instantly to take preparatory steps. The manu- 
script will be sent in a few weeks. This opportunity 
is so excessively sudden, that I am unable to give 
further particulars. But lose no time and do every- 
thing the best in your power, as I have a warm friend- 
ship for him. Give my love to mother and to all. 
Your affectionate brother, 

P. I. 

WasMngton, however, had no opportunity of 
supporting the interest of Campbell, as his brother 
urged, for there was gi-eater delay than the poet 
anticipated in the preparation of his work; and 
jx March, 1814, he informs Peter he had come 



230 LIFE AND LETTERS 

to an arrangement with Murray not to deliver 
his MSS. until September, and that he would not 
publish before December, 1814, or January, 1815 ; 
and he was anxious, if possible, to sell the copy- 
right in the United States for as much as it 
would ft-tch, instead of waiting the slow return 
of profits by editions. '• Of that sort of profit," 
he says, " I have had too sad experience on this 
side of tl>e Atlantic." 

On his return to New York, Brevoort resumed 
his quarters with Irving at Mrs. Ryckman's, No. 
16 Broadway, but they soon after changed to Mrs. 
Bradish's, a choice house kept on the most lib- 
eral scale at the corner of Greenwich and Rector 
Streets. Here they had, as before, a parlor in 
common. Among the occasional inmates in 1814 
were that " second Sindbad, Captain Porter," of 
whom Mr. Irving prepared a biographical sketch 
for the "Analectic," and Commodore Decatur and 
his wife. 

In the subjoined extract we have a playful 
account of a transient visit to the household of 
his brother, who was absent on a tour with his 
wife. The interest and diversion he found with 
children was characteristic of him through life. 

[Tb Ehenezer Irving."] 

New York, August 12, 1813. 
Dear Brother : — 

I have just come from your house, where they are 

all well and in good order The children 

are very hearty, and exceeding good boys. They 
were highly delighted with your letter, received 



OF WASHINGTON FRVING. 



231 



f esterda/, in which you mention them all ; and 
Pierre assures me that Theodore not only spells 
Ba-ba, but Di-al, which he intends informing you of 
under his owu hand. He has been projecting a 
mighty letter to you for several days, but has been 
delayed by a great scarcity of pen, ink, and paper. 
The two latter, he informed me this morning, he had 
procured, but was in want of a pen. I have put 
him in the way of getting one, and trust he will find 
no further difficulty in accomplishing this great un- 
dertaking. I have told him to write on one page of 
a sheet, and I will fill up the letter. He said he 
supposed his mamma would be able to tell his writ- 
ing from mine ; but to make him quite easy on that 
score I have agreed that we shall each put our names 
to our respective letters. 




CHAPTER XVIII. 




The War. — The Flag. — Hears of the British Entry into 
Washington. — Joins the Staff of Governor Tompkins. — 
An Expected Attack on the City. — Sent to Sackett's Har- 
bor on Lake Ontario. — His Journey. — Return to New 
York. — Tompkins. — An Unexpected Salute and its Re- 
sult. — William Irving in Congress. — Washington's Letter 
to him. — His Visit to Philadelphia. — Failure of Moses 
Thomas, the Publisher of the "Analectic." — Decatur and 
his Proposition. — Embarkation for Europe. 

^R. IRVING had deeply regretted that 
the difficulties between England and the 
United States had reached, the lament- 
able extremity of war, but, hostilities once com- 
menced, his sympatliies were all on the side of 
his country. In his biographical sketch of Perry 
published in the " Analectic Magazine," he 
writes : — 

Whatever we may think of the expediency or in- 
expediency of the present war, we cannot feel indif- 
ferent to its operations. Whenever our arms come 
in competition with those of the enemy, jealousy for 
our country's honor will swallow up every other 
consideration — our feelings will ever accompany 
the flag of our country to battle, rty'oicing in its glory, 
lamenting over its defeat. For there is no such 
thino- as releasing ourselves from the consequences of 
the contest. He who fancies he can stand aloof in 
hiterest, and by condemning the present war, can 



LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 233 

exonerate himself from the shame of its disasters, is 
■woefully mistaken. Other nations will not trouble 
themselves about our internal wranglings and party 
questions ; they will not ask who among us fought, 
or why we fought, but liow we fought. The disgrace 
of defeat will not be confined to the contrivers of the 
war, or the party in power, or the conductors of the 
battle ; but will extend to the whole nation, and come 
home to every individual. If the name of American 
is to be rendered honorable in the fight, we shall 
each participate in the honor ; if otherwise, we must 
inevitably support our share of the ignominy. 

With such sentiments, watching with mingled 
pride and sorrow the alternations of defeat and 
success, it may be imagined with what a feeling 
of outraged patriotism he heard of the triumphant 
entry of the British into AVashington, and the 
acts of uncivilized hostility which followed. 

He was descending the Hudson in the steam- 
boat when the tidings first reached him. It was 
night, and the passengers had betaken tliemselvea 
to their settees to rest, when a person came on 
board at Poughkeepsie with the news of the in- 
glorious triumph, and proceeded in the darkness 
of the cabin to relate the particulars ; the de- 
struction of the Prej^ident's house, the Treasury, 
War, and Navy offices ; the Capitol, the deposi- 
tory of the national library and public records. 
There was a momentary pause after the speaker 
had ceased, when some paltry spirit lifted his 
head from his settee, and in a tone of complacent 
derision " wondered what Jimmy Madison would 
8ay now." " Sir,"' said Mr. Irving, glad of au 



234 LIFE AND LETTERS 

escape to his swelling indignation, " do you seize 
on such a disaster only for a sneer ? Let me tell 
you, sir, it is not now a question about Jimmy 
Madison, or Jimmy Armstrong.^ The pride and 
honor of the nation are wounded; the country is 
insulted and disgraced by this barbarous success, 
and every loyal citizen would feel the ignominy 
and be earnest to avenge it." " I could not see 
the fellow," said Mr. Irving, when he related the 
anecdote to me, " but I let fly at him in the dark." 
A murmur of approbation followed the outburst, 
and then every ear was listening for the reply, 
but the energy of the rebuke had cowed the 
spokesman, for he did not again raise his voice. 

The spirit shown in this rebuke did not evap- 
orate in words. On his arrival in New York he 
repaired immediately to Governor Tompkins 
with an offer of his services. The latter showed 
no backwardness in securing the new recruit, and 
at once made him his aide and military secretary 
with the rank of Colonel. The letters addressed 
to him at this period bear this martial designa- 
tion ; '' Washington Irving, Esquire " being trans- 
formed into " Colonel Washington Irving." A 
general order of the commander-in-chief, of 2d 
September, 1814, bears the signature of " Wash- 
ington Irving, Aide-de-camp." 

This destruction of Washington kindled a flame 
of patriotic energy throughout the country. The 
citizens of New York had before been busy in 
making preparations to repel a threatened inva- 
sion, but this urged them to the completion of 
1 The Secretary of War. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 235 

their works of defense with redoubled spirit. 
The city was alive with the zeal of its inhabit- 
ants. Persons exempt from military service 
enrolled themselves anew ; all trades and profes- 
sions took their tour of duty at the line of forti- 
fications, raised night and day on the heights of 
Brooklyn and Harlem ; even clergymen with 
their parishioners sometimes volunteered in these 
measures of defense ; and teachers with their 
iuvenile scholars also turned out for a day's duty. 
The victorious outrage was well stigmatized in 
the House of Parliament as an " enterprise which 
most exasperated the people, and least weakened 
the Government of any recorded in the annals of 
war." Scarcely two weeks had elapsed before 
the disgrace was wiped out in the death of the 
invading general, the repulse of the British at 
Baltimore, the defeat of England's veterans at 
Plattsburg, and the overthrow and surrender ot 
her fleet on Lake Champlain. If Mr. Irving 
entered upon his military functions at a disastrous 
period, it was not long before he had cause foi 
rejoicing. 

He had been two or three weeks in the staff 
of the governor when it became necessary for 
the latter to proceed to Albany to attend an ex- 
traordinarv session of the legislature, which he 
had convened to meet on the 26th of Septem- 
ber. 

From Albany he writes to Brevoort, at Bur- 
Mngton, on Lake Champlain, September 26th, 
1814: — 



236 LIFE AND LETTERS 

I have been incessantly occupied since I saw yon 
by the duties of ray station ; and feel more pleased 
than ever with it. I am very anxious to hear how 
matters go with you. I think there is no prospect 
of immediate peace, and am of opinion that, should 
the British wait the results of the present campaign, 
they will rather be disposed to continue hostilities, to 
wipe out the stains of late defeats. This scourging 
campaign has on the whole been thus far a degrad- 
ing one to them, and the victory on Champlain will 
be a pill not easily swallowed. I wish you would 
treasure up all the striking particulars you may hear 
concerning it, as I must give McDonough a dash. 

Shortly after his arrival at Albany, it was ru- 
mored that Sackett's Harbor was threatened with 
an attack by land and water ; and eager to share 
in the excitement, the secretary requested from 
the governor sonae mission to the lines. He was 
accordingly sent to Sackett's Harbor with discre- 
tionary powers to consult with the commanding 
officers stationed there ; and, if necessary, to or- 
der out more militia. 

I leave this (he writes from Albany to his brother 
Ebenezer, September 28th), at four o'clock in the 
morning for Sackett's Harbor. Affairs, I am afraid, 
are about to look squally on our Canada frontier. 
Drummond has fallen back to Fort George, and 
Brown is not in sufficient force to pursue him. Izard 
has landed at Genesee River ; and by the time he 
forms a junction with Brown, or advances on Fort 
George, Drummond, I apprehend, will be able to get 
to the head of the lake, so that I think he has es- 
caped from our clutches. In the meanwhile, we hear 
that Chauncey is at Sackett's Harbor. If the enemy 



DF WASHINGTON IRVING. 237 

takes the lake with his large sliip, Chauncey is dished ; 
he dare not come out, and may be attacked in the 
harbor by land and sea. It is said he does not mean 
to remain in the harbor ; but to put out again Imme- 
diately. As there Is no regular force there of any 
consequence, I shall be empowered, if on consulting 
the officers tliere, it is deemed necessary, to order 
out a requisite militia force. Should matters be safe 
there, and the lake be unmolested by the enemy, I 
think it probable I shall sail to the upper part of 
it, and visit Brown's army ; having powers to tran- 
sact business there, if necessary. 

The travelling, at present, is rough ; but the ex- 
pedition will be a very interesting one. 

He proceeded to Utica in the stage, and at 
that point took horse for Sackett's Harbor, vrhicb 
with all diligence he could not reach under three 
days, for the roads were exceedingly heavy, and 
the journey rough and toilsome, though not with- 
out interest. A great part of his lonely ride lay 
through the track which he had traversed with 
the Hoffmans and Ogdens in 1803 ; but eleven 
years had made great changes in the face of the 
country. 

At the close of an account of this forest ride, 
left among his papers, he says : — 

After toiling along this rough road, amidst the 
most lonel}^ and savage scenery, I at length came to 
where the country suddenly opened ; Sackett's Har- 
bor lay before me — a town which had recently sprung 
ap in the bosom of this wilderness ; beyond it the 
take spread its vast watt^rs like an ocean, no opposing 
shon^ beinir vis:l)lc' ; wliilc a f'cu- milip f'rou) land rode 



238 LIFE AND LETTERS 

a squadron of ships of war at anchor on the cahn 
bosom of the lake, and looking as if they were 
balanced in the air. 

The next day he writes : — 

[To Ehenezer Irving.'] 

Sackett's Harbor, Oct. 3, 1814. 

Dear Brother : — 

I arrived here this morning after incessant trav- 
elling through the mire for four or five days — the 
last three on horseback. The British have com- 
pleted their large ship, and she has dropped down 
to Snake Island, where she lays under the batteries.'^ 
Chauncey lays at anchor about six miles oflf the har- 
bor. It is expected the British will immediately 
take the lake, and Chauncey be obliged to come in. 
Preparations are making to resist an attack by land 
and sea, which is expected. Breastworks are throw- 
ing up and pickets erected, which will inclose the 
whole place, and form protection for the militia. I 
have been constantly employed at the general's quar- 
ters all day, so that I have not been able to look 
about me. In compliance with the instructions of 
the governor, I have ordered out a large reinforce- 
ment of militia, and hope they may come in time ; 
but there is a sad deficiency of arms and military 
munitions. I write in great haste, as the mail is on 
the point of departing. Give my love to mother 
and the family ; I am in excellent health, and feel all 
the better for hard travelling. Should there be no 
business to detain me here, I shall leave this place 
in a day or two. I wisli first to visit Chauncey's 
fleet, and should like to witness an action were there 
a prospect of an innnediate one. 

1 A mistake. Slie liad not dropped down. This larj^e ship 
H-as the Si L'virrenctr^ of !)0 (j^uns. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 239 

The first wish was gratified the next day. In 
a letter to his brother Wilb'am he says : — 

The Lady of the Lake happening to come into 
the harbor, I went out in her to the fleet, which 
lay at anchor off Stoney Island, about eleven miles 
distant, and remained aboard with Cbauncey for part 
of two days ; during which time he took me round 
the little fleet, and I had a fine opportunity of wit- 
nessing their admirable order and equipment. It is 
a gallant little squadron, and I could not but regret 
continually that it should be doomed to rot in a 
fresh-water pond. The Superior is by great odds 
the finest frigate I was ever on board of. Her gun- 
deck shows a tremendous battery. I was in hopes 
of having an opportunity of looking into Kingston 
harbor and getting a peep at that hig ship, which is 
the bug-bear of these seas ; the Lady of the Lake, how- 
ever, was not sent on a reconnoitring expedition 
while I was in the fleet, and I did not think proper 
to make any request. 

Nothing could exceed the surprise of Chauncey 
on receiving Mr. Irving on board of his ship in 
these remote solitudes. " You here ? " he ex- 
claimed, in extending his hand ; " I should as 
soon have thought of seeing my wife." 

As there was no immediate prospect of any- 
thing at Sackett's Harbor, the aide set off on the 
7th of October, for Albany, in company with a 
commissary. 

As they were wending their way towards Utica 
they were constantly meeting with squads of mili- 
tia from Herkimer, Oneida, and the Black River 



240 LIFE AND LETTERS 

comities, trudging towards Sackett's Harbor to 
reinforce the inadequate defense for that place, 
who would hail him as they passed with " What 
news of the Big Ship ? " then jeer him for going 
the wrong way, and banter him to face about, 
little dreaming that it was to him they were in- 
flebted for the summons to turn out. 

On the 12th of October he was again in New 
York, having every reason to be delighted with 
his position in the governor's staff. In a letter 
to his brother William, at Washington, he says 
(October 14th) : — 

I feel more and more satisfied with my situation. 
It gives me a charming opportunity of seeing all 
that is going on, and Tompkins is absolutely one of 
the worthiest men I ever knew. I find him honest, 
candid, prompt, indefatigable, with a greater stock 
of practical good sense and ready talent than I had 
any idea he possessed, and of nerve to put into im- 
mediate execution any measure that he is satisfied is 
correct. I expect he will have the command here 
in a few days, in which case my situation will be 
everything I could wish. 

A letter of the 27th October to the same 
brother says : — 

The governor arrived in town yesterday, and this 
day will talce command. I expect and hope he will 
keep hi:'i staff stirring, and have been endeavoring 
as much as the little leisure I have would permit 
to prepare myself for the duties of my situation. 

These duties were sufficiently agreeable, but 
he used frequently to be annoyed by the good- 



OF WASHING TON IRVJNG. 241 

humored facility of Tompkins in giving audience 
to the hosts of danglers that beset a man in 
office, when his time was too precious for such 
courtesy, even if his personal dignity had not re- 
quired a more chary demeanor. " Let me," he 
would sometimes say in a spiiit of friendly ex- 
postulation, " receive their messages, and, if it be 
important for you to see them, I will admit them 
one at a time. Some degree of form and eti- 
quette is indispensable." Tompkins would con- 
sent, but soon his good-nature would get the 
better of his dignity, and he would sally forth to 
meet some importunate demand from without, 
when his attention would be instantly claimed by 
a multitude of other spirits in waiting. " I had 
constantly to go out," said once the quondam aide 
to me, "and dig him out of the crowd," 

While Washington was in the staff, his brother 
William was representing his native city in Con- 
gress. Tliis brother, like himself, lacked confi- 
dence for a public speaker, and was too apt to 
become embarrassed and break down under any 
formal attempt to deliver his views ; while in con- 
versation, he spoke with an animation and fluency 
that once elicited from the distinguished Lowndes 
of South Carolina the exclamation, grasping him 
at the same time by the hand, '' Why in the 
name of God, will you not speak in this way in 
the House ? " He could not, however, command 
his nerves, and lost heart whenever he attempted 
to speak ; so that, during the seven years that 
he was in Congress, though an efficient Hud popu- 
lar member, he rarely rose to his feet. The fol- 

VOL. I. lb 



242 LIFE AND LETTERS 

lowing extract from a letter of Washingtcm, 
dated December 20th5 1814, and which I quote 
in illustration of the writer's sensitive patiiotism, 
has refei'cnce to one of the few occasions on 
which he broke silence. It was on a bill to 
authorize a draft of militia from the several 
States. His speech took strong ground in favor 
of a vigorous prosecution of the war, and rep- 
robated the mistaken economy which, by with- 
holding what was neccessary, rendered useless 
what was bestowed. The bill, as introduced, 
provided for eighteen months' service, but was 
reduced to twelve. 

As to the bill on which you spoke (writes Wash- 
ington), I consider it another of those skeleton meas- 
ures, which, after having been stripped of flesh, and 
blood, and muscles, is sent forth to mock the country 
with a mere shaking of dry bones. We shall now 
have men for six months to drill and make soldiers 
of, and six months to feed and support in winter- 
quarters. If it had been eighteen months we might 
have had two campaigns out of them, or if six 
months, we could have one and no after trouble and 
expense of keeping them through a long winter : I 
think you were right, however, to support any show 
of defense, though I regret that jou were not able 
to effect anything more substantially efficient. I am 
really heartsick at the present wretched state of pub- 
lic affairs, and loathe that make-shift policy that has 
only aimed at scuffling through present embarrass- 
ments, and maintaining present popularity at the risk, 
or rather certainty, of future confusion and disaster. 

A few days after this, Governor Tompkins 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 243 

repaired to Albany to attend the session of the 
legislature, leaving General Boyd in command 
of the station. Mr. Irving's connection with 
the staff was consequently dissolved without any- 
thing having occurred to give prominence to his 
brief military career of four months, or test his 
martial accomplishments. He used jokingly to 
speak of an equestrian mischance of the gov 
ernor as the only event of his campaign. Tomp 
kitis "was about to visit a fort on Brooklyn 
Heights, manned by marines. It was surrounded 
by a deep trench, over which you passed into the 
fort by a somewhat narrow causeway. The gov- 
ernor, who was not over-firm in the stirrups, had 
a rather mettlesome steed, and, fearing the effect 
of the customary salute, sent his aide in advance 
to have it dispensed with. The marines would 
not be balked in this way. They were annoyed 
at being disappointed of their salute, and, deter- 
mined upon some ceremonial of respect, when 
the governor was making his exit, by a precon- 
certed movement they jumped upon the camion, 
and made the welkin ring with their cheers. 
Never was a popular demonstration so ill-timed. 
The governor was just crossing the causeway, 
when, startled with the stentorian chorus, the 
horse gave a pirouette, and the next thing I saw, 
said his aide, was Tompkins lying in the ditch 
and his steed bounding madly away. The aide 
hastened to the rescue of his dismounted chief, 
and was glad to perceive that he had received no 
greater injury than a sprained thumb and a sud- 
den sicku^iis Qf the stomach; but ever after- 



214 LIFE AND LETTERS 

wards — en such perilous occasions — the gov- 
ernor was apt to give his steed to him and borrow 
for the nonce his " Archy." This was a little 
bay of which he once wrote, " I never had occa- 
sion to lay the whip on his back, and, indeed, 
would almost as soon have had it laid on my 
own." ^ 

Of a piece with this military history was his 
jesting advice to Samuel Swartwout, the Major 
of the Iron Greys, a choice corps of volunteers 
to which his friend Brevoort belonged. The 
Major was very fussy about their equipments ; 
first this thing was wrong, then that ; now their 
guns were too light, then they were too heavy. 
'' Put two men to a gun, Sam," was the remedy 
advised under the last annoyance. 

Soon after his retirement from the staff, Wash- 
ington made a jaunt to Philadelphia, and had 
thoughts of proceeding to the seat of govern- 
ment to apply for a commission in the regular 
army, but was prevented in the way detailed in 
the followino: letter to his brother William. 

Philadelphia, January 15, 1815 
Dear Brother : — 

On arriving in Philadelphia I find that Bradford 
and Inskeep have failed and ruined poor Moses 
Thomas, the bookseller, who publishes the " Ana- 
lectic." This will detain me here some time to ar- 
range my affairs with him and settle about the future 

1 A letter to his brother Ebenezer furnishes this other 
characteristic token of affection for the animal: '* When 
you next visit little Archy's stall, pat hiin on the sides foi 



OF WASniNGTOX IRVING 245 

fate of the Magazine. This circumstance, and the 
vileness of the roads, etc., have induced me to give 
up my intention of visiting Washington for the pres- 
ent. I shall therefore return to New York in about 
a week. 

He " signed off what was owing to him," and 
being anxious that the Magazine should not fall 
through, effected an arrangement by which it was 
continued, though he never resumed the editor- 
ship. 

Before he returned from Philadelphia, where 
his stay was prolonged to the beginning of Feb- 
ruary, came the news of the victory of New Or- 
leans and the tidings of peace. 

During his absence his friend Decatur had put 
to sea in the frigate President and been cap- 
tured by a British squadron. Having been re- 
leased, he got back to the city in time to witness 
the illumination which announced the rejoicing 
of the citizens at the return of peace; but he 
had scarcely arrived when an act passed the two 
Houses of Congress, announcing the existence oJ 
a state of war between the United States and 
Algiers. The Dey of Algiers had taken advan- 
tage of the war with England to prey upon the 
commerce of the United States in the Mediter- 
rnnean, and several citizens had been confined in 
prisons and large sums refused for their ransom. 
Fwo squadrons were accordingly fitted out to 
)btain redress. The command of the first was 
offered to Decatur, and of the second to Bain- 
bridge. This last was to follow the first, and on 
its arrival in the Mediterranean the commander 



246 LIFE AND LETTERS 

of the first was to return in a single vessel, and 
leave the two squadrons in charge of Bainbridge. 
The command of the first had been offered to 
Decatur by the government in token of their 
undiminished confidence ; yet he hesitated about 
accepting it, and consulted Irving on the subject. 
The latter was his fellow-boarder at Mrs. Bra- 
dish's, whence Decatur had started on his unfortu- 
nate cruise, leaving his wife behind, who was 
miserable during his absence, and would some- 
times walk her room whole nights, incapable of 
sleep. Mr. Irving strongly urged his acceptance, 
insisting that he should by no means lose the 
opportunity of emerging from the cloud which 
had come over his celebrity by the loss of the 
President ; that here was a chance for a brilliant 
dash ; that he could precede Bainbridge, who 
was fitting out at Boston, and, as he expressed 
it to me, " whip off the cream of the enterprise." 
The distress of liis wife at the idea of this re- 
newed separation so soon after his return caused 
Decatur to hesitate, but at length he decided to 
go, and, turning suddenly to Mr. Irving, he pro- 
posed that he should accompany him, offering as 
an inducement the attraction of a cruise in the 
Mediterranean, and a promise to land him wher- 
ever he wished. 

The project was too captivating to be resisted. 
Mr. Irving took but half an hour to consult with 
bis brotLar Ebenezer, his partner, and decided to 
go. His trunks were soon packed and on board 
of the frigate, the Guerriere. Just at this time, 
when on the eve of departure, came news of 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 247 

Bonaparte's return from Elba, and it was deemed 
prudent by the government to delay the expedi- 
tion for a while under this new turn of affairs. 
Meanwhile, Mr. Irving thought he perceived 
some little wavering on the part of the Commo 
dore, and unwilling to embarrass his decision 
should he incline to relinquish the command, he 
had his trunks brought ashore. But as he was 
now fully bent on a voyage to Europe, had made 
all his preparations, and was sure, as he thought 
himself, of fortune's favors from the success of 
the commercial establishment into which he had 
been admitted, he determined to. embark, and 
mingle for a while in the exciting scenes that 
seemed to be opening on that side of the Atlan 
tic. 

The fleet weighed anchor on the 20th of May, 
and if Mr. Irving had accompanied Decatur, as 
he was so near doing, he would have been on 
board of his vessel in her brilliant action with 
the Mazouda, which took place in less than a 
month after the gallant hero had sailed, and in 
which the Algerine frigate was captured, and 
Hammida, her famous Rais or Admiral, killed. 

It was on the 25th of May, only five days 
after the departure of Decatur, that he bade 
adieu to his aged mother, his brothers, and friends, 
and embarked on board of the ship Mexico for 
Liverpool, looking forward to a pleasant voyage, 
but little dreaming that the ocean he was to cross 
would roll its waters for seventeen years between 
him and his home. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

Arrival at Liverpool. — News of the Battle of Waterloo. — 
Elation of John Bull. — Peter's Indisposition. — Visit to 
Birmingham — To London. — To Sydenham. — Mrs. Camp- 
bell. — Tour in Wales. — First Experience in the Cares of 
Business. — Extracts from Letters to Brevoort. — Letter to 
Brevoort. — Sordid Cares. — Anxiety for Remittances. — 
Excursion to London. — Miss O'Neil. — Kean. — Campbell. 




R. IRVING had led a very listless life 
for a month or two before he left New 
York, and was building, at his departure, 
large anticipations upon the exciting scenes that 
would follow the return of Bonaparte from Elba. 
The curtain, however, had already fdlen upon 
this brief interlude when he landed at Liverpool. 
The first spectacle which met his eye, was the 
mail coaches coming in, decked in laurel, and 
dashing proudly through the streets with the 
tidings of the battle of Waterloo and the flight of 
Napoleon. From this time he was all alive to 
watch the progress of Bonaparte's disastrous ca- 
reer, though his letters are somewhat sparing of 
remark on the astounding catastrophe. In writ- 
ing to Brevoort, July 5th, he observes : — 

I have forborne making any comments on the 
wonderful events that are taking place in the politi- 
cal world. They are too vast and astonishmg to be 



LIFK AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 249 

grasped in the narrow compass of a familiar letter 
and, indeed, as yet I can do nothing but look in stu 
pid amazement, wondering with vacant conjecture 
" what will take place next ? " 1 am determined, 
however, to get a near view of the actors in this 
great drama. 

In pursuit of this purpose in part he went up 
to London for a few days before Parliament rose, 
and on his return to Birmingham he thus records 
liis impressions of the prince and people most 
deeply interested in these momentous events : — 

Since I wrote you last (to Ebenezer, July 21st) I 
have made a short visit to London, where I was 
much gratified by seeing the House of Lords in full 
session, and the Prince Regent on the throne, on 
the proroguing of Parliament, The spirits of this 
nation, as you may suppose, are wonderfully elated 
by their successes on the continent, and English 
pride is inflated to its full distention by the idea 
of having Paris at the mercy of Wellington and his 
army. The only thing that annoys the honest mob 
is that old Louis will not cut throats and lop off 
heads, and that Wellington will not blow up bridges 
and monuments, and plunder palaces and galleries. 
As to Bonaparte, they have disposed of him in a 
thousand ways ; every fat-sided John Bull has hiui 
dished up in a way to please his own palate, except- 
ing that as yet they have not observed the first 
direction in the famous receipt to cook a turbot — 
" first catch your turbot." 

In a postscript he adds : — 

The bells ar3 ringing, and this moment news is 
brought that pcor Boney is a prisoner at Plymouth. 
John has caught the Turbot ! 



250 LIFE AND LETT] RS 

I am extremely sorry (he writes to his brothef 
William the same day) that liis career lias termi- 
nated so lamely ; it's a thousand pities he had not 
fallen like a hero at the battle of Waterloo. 

And soon after, announcing to Brevoort that 
Bonaparte had at length left the coast for St. 
Helena, he says, with a strong feeling of sympathy 
for his fallen fortunes and the dreary exile to 
which he was devoted : — 

I must say I think the Cabinet has acted with lit- 
tleness towards him. In spite of all his misdeeds, 
he is a noble fellow, and I am confident will eclipse, 
in the eyes of posterity, all the crowned wiseacres 
that have crushed him by their overwhelming con- 
federacy. 

If anything could place the Prince Regent in a 
more ridiculous light, it is Bonaparte suing for his 
magnanimous protection. Every compliment paid 
to this bloated sensualist, this inflation of sack and 
sugar, turns to the keenest sarcasm ; and nothing 
shows more completely the caprices of fortune, and 
how truly she delights in reversing the relative situ- 
ations of persons, and baffling the flights of intellect 
and enterprise — than that, of all the monarchs of 
Europe, Bonaparte should be brought to the feet of 
the Prince Regent. 

" An eagle towering in his pride of place 
Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed." 

And now, having been led away for a moment 
to trace the tone of his allusion to the vast events 
that came breaking upon him at his arrival on 
the shores of Europe, I return to more Jomestic 
details. 



OF WASHINGTON IRLING, 251 

Nearly seven years had passed since his part- 
ing with Peter, " a fearful lapse ot" time to gen- 
tlemen of a certain age ; " yet he found him in 
manner and conversation so much like old times 
that it soon seemed, he says, as if they had parted 
but yesterday. " I found him," is his language 
to Ebenezer, " very comfortably situated, having 
handsome furnished rooms, and keeping a horse, 
gig, and servant, but not indulging in any extrav- 
agance or dash. He lives like a man of sense, 
who knows he can but enjoy his money while 
he is alive, and would not be a whit the better 
though he were buried under a mountain of it 
when dead." Peter was at this time confined to 
the house by an indisposition, which, though ap- 
parently yielding to strict regimen and medical 
prescription, ultimately lengthened into a most 
tedious illness, driving him in September to Har- 
rowgate for th(^ benefit of the waters, and thence, 
almost a cripple from rheumatism, to his sister's 
house in Birmingham, where he lingered, an un- 
complaining invalid, to the middle of May. 

Washington spent a week with Peter at Liv- 
erpool, and then took leave of him, seemingly 
recruiting rapidly in health, " for the redoubtable 
castle of Van Tromp," as he playfully styles the 
residence of his brother-in law, Henry Van Wart, 
in the vicinity of Birmingham. 

I found (he writes to Brevoort) the barou and the 
baroness, and all the young Van Tromps, in excel- 
lent health and spirits, and most delightfully situated 
in the vicinity of the town. 



252 LIFE AND LETTERS 

Everything about the little retreat he described 
as exactly to his taste. " The house, the grounds, 
the household establishment, the mode of living ; 
never before did I find myself more comfortably 
at home." From Birmingham he went, for a 
few days, to London, and made an excursiou 
thence to Sydenham to visit Campbell, who, un- 
fortunately, was not at home. 

I spent an hour (he writes) in conversation with 
Mrs. Campbell, who is a most engaging and interest- 
ing woman. Campbell was still engaged in getting 
bis critical work through the press; and as he is a 
rigid censor of his own works, correcting is as labo- 
rious as composition to him. He alters and amends 
until the last moment. I am in hopes when he hat 
this work off his hands, he will attempt anothei 
poem. Mrs. Campbell gave me some anecdotes of 
Scott, but none so remarkable as to dwell in my 
memory. He has lost much by the failure of the 
Ballantynes, but is as merry and unconcerned to all 
appearance as ever ; one of the happiest fellows that 
ever wrote poetry. I find it is very much doubted 
whether he is the author of Waverley and Guy 
Mannering. Brown, one of the publishers, positively 
says he is not. 

It was in this interview with the poet's wife, 
that the conversation took place of which he has 
given an account in the introduction to the Ameri- 
can reprint of Seattle's " Life of Campbell." 

I had considered (he says) the early produc- 
tions of Campbell as brilliant indications of a genius 
yet to be developed ; and trusted that, during the 
long interval which had elapsed, he had been pre* 



OF WAiSUlNGTON lEVIA'G. 253 

paring something to fulfill the public expectation. 
I was greatly disappointed, therefore, to find that, 
as yet, he had contemplated no great and su» 
tained efibrt. [He expressed to Mrs. Campbell his 
regret " that her husband did not attempt something 
on a grand scale."] " It is unfortunate for Camp- 
bell," said she, " that he lives In the same age with 
Scott and Byron." I asked why. " O ! " said she, 
" they write so much and so rapidly. Now Camp- 
bell writes slowly, and it takes him some time to get 
under way ; and just as he has fairly begun, out 
comes one of their poems, that sets the world agog, 
and quite daunts him, so that he throws by his pen 
in despair." I pointed out the essential difference 
in their kinds of poetry, and the qualities which en- 
sured perpetuity to tliat of her husband. " You 
can't persuade Campbell of that," said she. " He is 
apt to undervalue his own works, and to consider his 
own little lights put out whenever they come blazing 
out with their great torches," 

I repeated the conversation to Scott (continues 
Mr. Irving) some time afterward, and it drew forth 
a characteristic comment. 

" Pooh ! " said he, good humoredly, " how can 
Campbell mistake the matter so much. Poetry goes 
by quality, not by bulk. My poems are mere cairn- 
gorms, wrought up, perhaps, with a cunning hand, 
and may pass well In the market as long as cairn- 
gorms are the fashion ; but they are mere Scotch 
pebbles, after all ; now Tom Campbell's are real 
diamonds, and diamonds of the first water." 

From London Mr. Irving returned to his 
" English home," the domestic cii-cle at Birming- 
ham, and made au excursion thence to Kenil- 
wortli, Warwick, and Stratford-ou-Avon viitb 
James Reuwick. 



254 LIFE AND LETTERS 

After pausing a few days at Birmingham, on 
their return, he and Renwick set out again on a 
tour by the way of Bath and Bristol through 
South and North Wales to Liverpool, where he 
joined his brotlier Peter about the middle of 
August. " I found Renwick," he writes, an " ex- 
cellent travelling companion, and from his un- 
common memory an exceeding good book of 
reference, so as to save me a vast deal of trouble 
in consulting my travelling books." He gives no 
particulars of his "delightful tour," but his pen- 
cil memoranda abound with sketches taken on 
his route, and reccu'd in language that cannot 
clearly be deciphered that he clambered up to the 
tower of the cathedral which commands a noble 
view of the valley in which Gloucester stands, 
and was locked up by the old sexton while he 
accompanied other visitors round the church, 
fearful he might give him the slip. 

Soon after Washington got to Liverpool, 
Peter left for Harrowgate, and his indisposition 
continuing, his absence was prolonged through 
more than eight months. 

Washington had now to take charge of the 
establishment, which, as he was very inexpe- 
rienced, was a sufficient employment for all his 
faculties. The confused manner in which the 
business had been conducted in consequence of 
Peter's illness and the death of his principal 
clerk, obliged him to examine ev^^rything thor- 
oughly, and by that means to acquaint himself 
with every detail. Averse as he was to business, 
he now gave himself up to it entirely, and he 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 255 

had a faculty of applying himself thoroughly to 
a subject until he had mastered it. " I am lead- 
ing a solitary bachelor's life in Peter's lodgiDgs," 
he writes to his mother, September 21st, " and 
perhaps should feel a little louesome were I not 
kept so busy." September 24th, he was institu- 
ting an examination into the accounts of the con- 
cern, and having the books brought up, for which 
purpose he had studied book-keeping. 

I bring together some passages from his letters 
to Brevoort during this period. 

Liverpool, ^M^r. 19, 1815. — .... I re- 
ceived a very good, that is to say, a very character- 
istic letter from that ■worthy little tar, Jack Nichol- 
son, dated 7th July, on board the Flambeau off 
Algiers ; and giving a brief account of our affairs 
with Algiers. He mentions that " they fell in with 
and captured the admiral's ship, and killed him." 
As this is all Jack's brevity will allow him to say on 
the subject, I should be at a loss to know whether 
they killed the admiral lefore or ojler his capture. 
The well-known humanity of our tars, however, in- 
duces me to the former conclusion 

This triumph will completely fix Decatur's reputa- 
tion ; he may now repose on his laurels, and have 
wherewithal to solace himself under their shade. 
Give my hearty congratulations to Mrs. Decatur, 
and tell her that now I am willing she shall have the 
Commodore to herself, and wish her all comfort and 
happiness with him. A gallanter fellow never 
stepped a quarter-deck. God bless him I 

Sept. 8. — I am in hopes of soon seeing Charles 
King,* in Liverpool, to await the arrival of his fam- 

1 Now President of Columbia College. 



256 LIFE AND LETTERS 

ily. I saw mucli of him while in London, and as 
you may suppose, found him a most desirable com- 
panion in the metropolis. Charles is exactly what 
an American should be abroad — frank, manly, and 
unaffected in h*s habits and manners ; liberal and 
independent in his opinions, generous and unpreju- 
diced in his sentiments towards other nations, but 

most loyally attached to his own 

I should like to see the " National Intelligencer," 
now that Jim is writing for it. The late triumphs 
on the continent will be sore blows to Jim's plans ; 
they will materially delay the great object of his 
life — the overthrow of the British empire. 

During this interval, though his letters to 
Brevoort might savor of pleasantry, the sordid 
cares of the counting-house took up his wliole 
time and completely occupied his niiud, "so that 
at present," he writes in October, " 1 am as dull, 
commonplace a fellovp" as ever figured upon 
'Change." At this time he had begun to appre- 
hend that Peter, following too many others at 
that period, had purchased too deeply for their 
capital, and he had become very anxious and ap- 
prehensive about their fall payment?^, and how he 
was to meet the great demands for funds which 
began to press upon them. 

His constant injunction to his brother Eben- 
ezer, who, meanwhile, was straining every nerve 
to do it, was to remit continually until all the 
goods were paid for ; not to flag, nor think, be- 
cause he had done well, he could afford for a time 
to do nothing. 

I could not help smiling (says he) at a passage in 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 257 

one of brother William's letters to Van Wart, wherein 
he intimates that thej should have to stop to take 
breath from remitting ; but in the mean time he 
must wait patiently and do his best. This was 
sometliing like the Irishman calling to his compan- 
ion, whom he was hoisting out of the well, to hold 
on below while he spit on his hands. 

On the 10th of November Mr. Irving was 
able to " emerge from the mud of Liverpool, and 
shake off the sordid cares of the counting-house," 
and join " the little family circle at Birming- 
ham," where Peter was now confined in helpless 
inactivity. From Birmingham he made a three 
weeks' visit to London, returning in time to eat 
his Christmas (dinner with his relatives, and to 
learn how cruelly circumstances had operated 
against their fall business ; the goods that had 
been shipped for New York failing, through ad- 
verse winds, to reach that market in season, and 
having to lie over for the spring. Notwithstand- 
ing this great discouragement, Ebenezer wrote in 
a cheerful and resolute spirit, but it was easy to 
foresee how much their difficulties must be in- 
creased from this source, and what a taste they 
were likely to have of the anxieties, embarrass- 
ments, and disadvantages of an overstrained busi- 
ness. 

I close the year 1815 with the following letter 
to Brevoort, which touches upon his visit to Lon- 
don, and his theatrical experiences : — 

BIKMI^'GHA>l, December 28, 1815 
Deak Bkevoout : — 

It is a long while since I have heard from you; 
and since yom^ last, we have been very uneasy, in 



258 LIFE AND LETTERS 

consequence of hearing of your being dangerously 
ill. Subsequent accounts, however, have again put 
you on your legs, and relieved us from our anxiety. 
I have lately been on a short visit to London ; 
merely to see sights, and visit public places. Our 
Avorthy friend Johnson, and his brother, arrived in 
town while I was there, and we were frequently to- 
gether. The Governor enjoyed the amusements of 
London with high zest, and like myself, was a great 
frequenter of the theatres — particularly when Miss 
O'Neil performed. We were both agreed that were 
you in England, you would infallibly fall in love with 
this '' divine perfection of a woman." She is, to 
my eyes, the most soul-subduing actress I ever saw. 
I do not mean from her personal charms, which are 
great, but frcTm the truth, force, and pathos of her 
acting. I never have been so completely melted, 
moved, and overcome at a theatre as by her per- 
formances. I do not think much of the other novel- 
ties of the day. Mrs. Mardyn, about whom much 
has been said and written, is vulgar Avithout humor, 
and hoydenish without real whim and vivacity ; she 
is pretty, but a very bad actress. Kean — the 
prodigy — is cried up as a second Garrick — as a 
reformer of the stage, etc., etc. ; it may be so. He 
may be right, and all the actors wrong ; this is cer- 
tain, he is either very good or very bad — I think 
decidedly the latter ; and I find no medium opinions 
concerning him. 

I am delighted with Young, who acts with great 
judgment, discrimination, and feeling. I think him 
much the best actor at present on the English stage. 
llis Hamlet is a very fine performance, as is likewise 
his Stranger, Pierre, Chamont, etc. I have not seen 
his Macbeth, which I should not suppose could equal 
Cooper's. In fact, in ceitain characters, such a» 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 259 

may be classed with Macbeth, I do not think that 
Cooper has his equal in England. Young is the 
only actor I have seen that can be compared with 
him. I cannot help thinking that if Cooper had a 
fair chance, and the public were to see him in his 
principal characters, he would take the lead at once 
of the London theatres. But there is so much party 
work, managerial influence, and such a widely spread 
and elaborate system of falsehood and misrepresen- 
tation connected WMth the London theatres, that a 
stranger, who is not peculiarly favored by the man- 
agers or assisted by the prepo^^sessions of the public, 
stands no chance. I shall never forget Cooper's 
acting in Macbeth last spring, when he was stim- 
ulated to exertion by the presence of a number of 
British officers. I have seen nothing equal to it in 
England. Cooper requires excitement to arouse him 
from a monotonous, commonplace manner he is apt 
to fall into, in consequence of acting so often before 
indifferent houses. I presume the crowded audi- 
ences, which I am told have filled our theatres this 
season, must bring him out in full splendor. 

While at London I saw Campbell, who is busily 
employed printing his long-promised work. The 
publisher has been extremely dilatory ; and has kept 
poor Campbell lingering over the pages of this work 
for months longer than was necessary. He will in a 
little while get through with the printing of it ; but 
it will not be published before spring. As usual, he 
is busy correcting, altering, and adding to it, to the 
last, and cannot turn his mind to anything else, until 
this is out of hand. 

Later in life, after fuller opportunity of seeing 
him, Mr. living wrote to Brevoort of Kean as 
follows : — 



260 LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 

Kean is a strange compound of merits and de- 
fects. His excellence consists in sudden and brilliant 
touches — in vivid exhibitions of passion and emo- 
tion. I do not think him a discriminating actor, or 
critical either at understandino; or delineating; charac- 
ter ; but he produces etfects which no other actor 
lioes. He has completely bothered the multitude * 
and is praised without being understood. I havt 
seen him guilty of the grossest and coarsest pieces 
of false acting, and most " tyrannically clapped " 
withal : while some of his most exquisite touches 
passed unnoticed. 

Miss O'Neil, of whom he writes with such en- 
thusiasm in the letter just given, afterwards 
played a round of her most effective parts at 
Birmingham; and Mr. Irving was so completely 
carried away by his admiration of her acting, 
that when offered to be introduced to her he de- 
clined, unwilling to take the risk of a possible 
disenchantment. She had lost herself so com- 
pletely in the characters she represented that he 
feared to have the illusion broken. " Well," 
said Scott, when he afterwards told him of his rea- 
sons for this avoidance, " that was very comj^li- 
mentary to her as an actress, but I am not so 
8 ire that it was as a woman." 




CHAPTER XX. 

.\nxious Days. — Letter to Brevoort. — Peter's Return to 
Liverpool. — Vaiu Attempts to revive the Literary Feel- 
ing. — Letter of Allston. — Death of his Mother. — Let- 
ter to Allston. — Ogilvie's Prediction. — A Day with 
Campbell. — Dinner with Murray. — D'Israeli. — Letter to 
Peter Irving. 




HAVE no intention for the present of 
visiting; the continent. I wish to see busi- 
i ness on a regular footing before I travel 
for pleasure. I should otherwise have a 
constant load of anxiety on my mind. 

So wrote Washington to his brother Ebenezer 
at the close of 1815. Yielding to a roving pro- 
pensity, "the offspring of idleness of mind and a 
want of something to fix the feelings," he had 
pulled up anchor in New York seven months 
before to drift about Europe in search of novelty 
and excitement, ready, as he expresses it, " to 
S])read his sails wherever any vagrant breeze 
might carry him," and now, for weary months, he 
is detained in Liverpool by irksome and unex- 
pected employment, and we find him at the open- 
ing of another year renouncing every j^roject he 
\iad in view when be embarked, and sighing for 
the easy, unconcerned days and tranquil nights he 
6ad enjoyed before he left. 



262 IIFE AND LETTERS 

Peter still 3ontinued an invalid at Birming- 
ham. Washington, therefore, went to Liverpool 
after New Year to put business in train for the 
next month's payments, and then start for Lon- 
floii, " to endeavor to make some financial arrange- 
ments." Expecting little from remittances for 
some time to come, he wished to make matters 
easy ahead as much as possible. " I would not 
again," he wiites from Liverpool, January 9th, 
18 IG, " experience the anxious days and sleepless 
nights which have been my lot since I have taken 
hold of business to possess the wealth of Croe- 
sus." The next evening he left that city for 
Birmingham, where he spent a few hours on the 
morrow, and then proceeded to London, in which 
city he remained two months. I give some ex- 
tracts from a letter to Brevoort, dated at Bir- 
mingham, March 15, 1816 ; after his return from 
that city. 

My dear Brevoort : — 

I have received your most kind letter of February 
18th, and also the magazines and newspapers, forwar- 
ded by Mr. Selden. I believe I am also still in your 
debt for your letters of the 1st January ; but, indeed, 
I have been so completely driven out of my usual 
track of thought and feeling by " stress of weather " 
in business, that I have not been able to pen a single 
line on any subject that "was not connected with 

traffic We have, in common with most 

American houses here, had a hard winter of it in 
money matters, owing to the cross purposes of last 
fall's business, and have been harassed to death to 
meet our engagements. I have never passed so 
anxious a time in my life ; my rest has been broken, 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 263 

and my health and spu-its ahnost prostrated ; but 
thank Heaven, we have weathered the storm, and got 
into smooth Avater ; and I begin to feel myself a,gain. 
Brom ^ has done wonders, and proved himself an able 
financier ; and, though a small man, a perfect giant 
in business. I cannot help mentioning that James 
Renwick has behaved in the most gratifying manner. 
At a time when we were exceedingly straitened, ] 
wrote to him begging to know if he could in any 
way assist us to a part of the amount we were de- 
ficient. He immediately opened a credit for us to 
the full amount, guaranteeing the payment of it, and 
asking no security from iis than our bare words. 
But the manner in which this was done, heightened 
the merit of it, from the contrast it formed to the 
extreme distrust and tenfold caution that universally 
prevailed throughout the commercial world of Eng- 
land, in the present distressed times. 

I have had much gratification from the epistles 
of that worthy little tar. Jack Nicholson, who, I find, 
still sighs in the bottom of his heart for the fair 

, though he declares that his hopes do not 

aspire to such perfection. Why did not the varlet 
bring home the head of Rais Hamnuda, and lay it at 
her feet ; that would have been a chivalric exploit 
few ladies could have withstood ; and if Paulding had 
only dished him up in full length (if I may be al- 
lowed the word), in a wood-cut in the " Naval Chron- 
icle," like little David of yore, with the head of 
Goliah in his fist, I think his suit would have been 
irresistible.^ 

1 A nickname for his brother Ebenezer. 

2 The " American Naval Chronicle" formed a department 
">f the Analectic Magazine, to which Paulding was contrih- 
*ting the biographies. 



264 LIFE AND LETTERS 

I wish you would send to me the num- 
bers of the "Anaiectie Magazine " that have the Traits 
of Indian Character and the story of King Philip ; 
likewise a copy of the " History of New York ; " send 
them by the first opportunity. 

He was probably meditating at this time a re- 
vised edition of Knickerbocker, with illustrations 
by Allston and Leslie, whom he had met in Lon- 
don. 

At the date of this letter Mr. L'vino- boned 
that they had. now got through their difficulties, 
and that future business would not merely be 
profitable, but easy and pleasant ; and with such 
feelings he returned to Liverpool, leaving Peter 
still at Birmingham, not yet "able to trust his 
rheumatic limbs out of the house. He was des- 
tined, however, to find '' everybody dismal," from 
the hard times, and to continue to lead an anxious 
life. 

May 9th he writes to Brevoort : — 

I was in hopes of hearing from you by the Rosalie, 
but was disappointed. A letter from you is like a 
gleam of sunshine through the darkness that seems 
to lower upon my mind. I am here alone, attending 
to business ; and the times are so hard, that they 
sicken my very soul. Good God ! what would I give 
to be once more with you, and all this mortal coil 
shuffled off my heart. 

About this time Peter returned to Liverpool 
reestablished in health, and his presence enabled 
Washington once more to repaii- to Birmingham. 
But he had been " so harassed and hag-iidden 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 265 

by the cares and anxieties of business," and had 
been so long " brooding over the hardships of the 
disordered times," that it was in vain that he at- 
tempted to divert his thoughts into other chan- 
nels and employ himself with his pen. " My 
mind is in a sickly state," he writes July 16tli, 
" and my imagination so blighted that it cannot 
put forth a blossom nor even a green leaf. Time 
and circumstances must restore them to their 
proper tone." 

The sunny spot in this gloomy year was a lit- 
tle excursion into Derbyshire which he concerted 
with Peter, when a suspension for a while of dis- 
mal letters from New York left him a disposition 
for a ramble among the scenes described by " old 
Izaak Walton." This excursion was made about 
the beginning of August. The rest of the year 
was spent under his sister's roof at Birmingham, 
in a vain attempt to revive the literary feeling. 

On the 23d of February in the following year 
he went back to Liverpool, feeling that his com- 
pany was important to keep up Peter's spirits. 

About this time Mr. Irving was preparing a 
new edition of his " History of New York," for 
which Ailston and Leslie were making designs. 
In a letter from the former, dated London, April 
] 5, he remarks : — 

I have made a design for your Knickerbocker, but 
I shall say nothing about it, as I hope you will soon 
be here to see it. 

He then speaks of having " added four new 
jicidents to the first three acts of the play" he 



266 LIFE AND LETTERS 

was intending to offer to the theatres, and adds in 
a postscript : " 1 have completed a sketch, and 
am making other preparations for a large picture ; 
but more of this when I see jou. I promise 
myself much advantage as well as pleasure from 
your society the ensuing summer." 

This expectation, however, was put to flight by 
a sudden resolution of Mr. Irving to return home, 
which gives occasion to the following interesting 
letter from Allston, in which he unfolds the de- 
sign of his large picture, and of his sketch for 
Knickerbocker : — 

London, 9th May, 1817, / 
8 Buckingham Place, Fitzroy Sq. \ 
Dear Irving : — 

Your sudden resolution of embarking for America 
has quite thrown me, to use a sea-phrase, all a-back ; 
I have so many things to tell you of — to consult 
you about, etc., and am such a sad correspondent, that 
before I can bring my pen to do its office 'tis a hun- 
dred to one but the occasions for which your advice 
would be wished, will have passed and gone. One 
of these subjects (and the most important) is the 
large picture I talked of soon beginning : The 
prophet Daniel interpreting the handwriting on the 
wall before Belshazzar. I have made a highly fin- 
fshed sketch of it, and I wished much to have your 
remarks on it. But as your sudden departure will 
deprive me of this advantage, I must beg, should any 
hints on the subject occur to you during your voyage, 
that you will favor me with them, at the same time 
you let me know that you are again safe in our good 
country. I think the composition the best I ever 
made. It contains a multitude of figures, and (if I 
may be allowed to say it) they are without coufu- 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 267 

81011. Don*i you think it a fine subject ? I know 
not any tha: so happily unites the magnificent and 
the awful : a mighty sovereign, surrounded by his 
whole court, intoxicated with his own state — in the 
midst of his revelings, palsied in a, moment under the 
spell of a preternatural hand suddenly tracing his 
doom on the wall before him ; his powerless limbs, 
like a wounded spider's shrunk up to his body, while 
his heart, compressed to a point, is only kept from 
vanishing by the terrific suspense that animates it 
during the interpretation of his mysterious sentence : 
his less guilty, but scarcely less agitated queen, the 
panic-struck courtiers and concubines, the splendid 
and deserted banquet table, the half-arrogant, half- 
astounded magicians, the holy vessels of the Tem- 
ple (shining, as it were, in triumph through the 
gloom), and the calm, solemn contrast of the Prophet, 
standing like an animated pillar in the midst, breath- 
ing forth the oracular destruction of the empire ! 
The picture will be twelve feet high by seventeen 
feet long. Should I suceed in it even to my wishes 
I know not what may be its fate. But I leave the 
future to Providence. Perhaps I may send it to 
America. Agreeably to your request I send, by the 
coach, the design for Knickerbocker. The subject is 
Wouter Van Twiller's decision in the case of Wan- 
die Schoonhoven and Barent Bleecker. I think the 
astonished constable the best figure. Indeed, that 
relating to him appeared to me the driest part of the 
oke. Let me know how you like it. If you don't 
\ike it — mind — I sha'n't be offended. 'Tis a sad 
bore to be obliged to laugh through complaisance ; 
60 I won't take it amiss even thou<rh you should be 
grave upon it. By the bye, I should like to know 
whether that lawsuit satirizes any living persons. 
If so, I should be sorry, for though the) may cheer- 



268 LIFE AND LETTERS 

fully join in the laugh themselves at a i-idiculous 
description, they would not so well bear a pictured 
personal caricature. Do let me know, and I will 
make a design from another part of the book that 
shall hurt nobody. Now, don't laugh at me. I 
would only be a harmless creature. I send at the 
same time a design by Leslie. The subject is the 
Dutch courtship. It is really a very beautiful draw- 
ing. If you mean to have them engraved, I think 
they had better be done here. They could not 
engrave them well in America. Here they would 
be well done, and much cheaper. If you think so 
too, and will leave them with your brother to be 
sent to me, I will see that they are properly done. 
You will probably see in New York a little picture 
of " Rebecca at the Well " which I painted last sum- 
mer for my friend Van Schaick. My friends here 
thought it one of my best pictures. I hope he likes 
it. I have not heard. I shall not regret that I 
have written so much about myself if it induce you, 
in return, to favor me with some of your plans and 
projects. 

Wishing you a prosperous voyage, and happy 
meeting with your friends, 

I remain truly your friend, 

Washington Axlston. 

Campbell, also, under the impression that he 
was about returning to America, had sent him the 
printed sheets of the greater part of the first two 
volumes of his new work, wishing him to try if 
something could not be procured for it. 

In the conclusion of his letter, dated May 26th, 
he remarks : — 

I congratulate you on the happiness of returning 



OF IVASfllNO'TON IRVING. 269 

to your native lami. Alas ! you leave us in sad 
times. I have been just telling Ogllvie that if things 
get worse here I shall expect to finish my days teach- 
ing Greek in America. I fear our pohtical horizon 
is brewing a storm that will not soon be allayed. I 
see no termination of our difficulties. God knows I 
love my country, and my heart would bleed to leave 
it, but if there be a consummation such as may be 
feared I look to taking up my abode in the only other 
land of Liberty, and you may behold me perhaps 
flogging your little Spartans of Kentucky into a true 
sense and feehng of the beauties of Homer. 

Mr. Irving sent the sheets to his friend Bre- 
voort, with an earnest request that he would do 
what he could to promote the poet's interest, and 
in the conclusion of his letter gives this explana- 
tion of his change of purpose : — 

I received some time since your kind letter urging 
my return. I had even come to the resolution to do 
so immediately, but the news of my dear mother's 
death put an end to one strong inducement that was 
continually tugging at my heart, and other reasons 
have compelled me to relinquish the idea for the 
present. 

What the " other reasons " were, does not ap- 
pear. 

The death of his mother, which was the main 
cause of his postponement, took place on the 9th 
of April. When he parted from her in New 
York he had expected to return after a short ab- 
sence and settle down beside her for the rest of 
her life. She was near seventy-nine when she 
died 



270 LIFE AND LE TIMERS 

I now follow with the reply to Allston's letter. 

[To Washington Allsion.'] 

Birmingham, May 21st, 1817. 
My dear Allston : — 

Your letter of the 9th instant, and likewise the 
parcel containing the pictures, came safely to hand, 
and should have been acknowledged sooner, but I 
have been much discomposed since last I wrote to 
you, by intelligence of the death of my mother. 
Her extreme age made such an event constantly 
probable, but I had hoped to have seen her once 
more before she died, and was anxious to return 
home soon on that account. That hope is now at 
an end, and with it my immediate wish to return ; 
so that I think it probable I shall linger some time 
longer in Europe. 

I have been very much struck with your con- 
ception of the warning of Belshazzar. It is grand 
and poetical, affording scope for all the beauties and 
glories of the pencil; and if it is but executed in 
the spirit in which it is conceived, I am confident 
will insure you both profit and renown. 

As to its future fate, however, never let that oc- 
cupy your mind, unless it be to stimulate you to 
exertion. As to sending it to America, I would 
otdy observe that, unless I got very advantageous 
offers for my paintings, I would rather do so — as 
it is infinitely preferable to stand foremost as one of 
the founders of a school of painting in an immense 
and growing country like America — in fact, to be 
an object of national pride and affection, than to 
fall into the ranks in the crowded galleries of Europe, 
or perhaps be regarded with an eye of national 
prejudice, as the production of an American pencil 
■s likely to be in England. 1 will not pretend at 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 271 

this moment to discuss the merits of your desigu 
for the proposed painting ; I do not feel in the vein ; 
but if, at a more cheerful moment, any idea suggests 
itself that I may think worth communicating, I will 
Avrite to you. 

I cannot express to you how much I have been 
pleased with the two designs for Knickerbocker. 
The characters are admirably discriminated, the 
humor rich but chaste, and the expression peculiarly 
natural and appropriate. I scarcely know which 
figure in your picture to prefer ; the constable is 
evidently draAvn con amore, and derives additional 
spirit from standing in high relief opposed to the 
ineffable phlegm of old Wouter. Still, however, the 
leering exultation of the fortunate party is given to 
the very life, and is evident from top to toe — the 
bend of the knee, the play of the elbows, the sway- 
ing of the body, are all eloquent ; and are finely 
contrasted with the attitude and look of little Schoon- 
hoven. By the way, I must say the last figure has 
tickled me as much as any in the picture. But each 
has its peculiar merits, and is the best in its turn. 
The sketch by Leslie is beautiful. The Dutch girl 
is managed with great sweetness and naiveti. The 
expression of her chin and mouth shows that she is 
not likely to break her lover's heart. The devoted 
leer of the lover's eye and the phlegmatic character 
of the lower part of his countenance, form a whim- 
sical combination. The very cat is an important 
figure in the group, and touched off with proper 
expression ; a delicate humor pervades the whole ; 
the composition is graceful, and there is a rural air 
about it that is peculiarly pleasing. 

I dwell on these little sketches because they give 
me quite a new train of ideas in respect to my work ; 
and I only wi^h I had it new to wrilf, as 1 iini sure 



272 LIFE AND LETTERS 

I should conceive the scenes in a much purer style, 
having these pictures before me as correctives of the 
grossierte into which the writer of a work of humor 
is apt to run. At any rate, it is an exquisite grat- 
ification to find that anything I have written can 
present such pleasing images to imaginations like 
yours and Leslie's ; and I shall regard the work with 
inoire compl.ajency, as having in a measure formed a 
link of association between our minds. 

The lawsuit was an entirely imaginary incident, 
without any personal allusion, though by a whimsical 
coincidence there was a Barent Bleecker at Albany 
who had been comptroller ; and his family at first 
suspected an intention to asperse his official character. 
The suspicion, however, was but transient, and is 
forgotten ; so that the picture will awaken no hos- 
tility. 

I had no idea, when I began this letter, that I 
should have filled the sheet ; but words beget words ; 
I shall write to you again before long, and will then 
endeavor to direct my attention to topics more im- 
mediately interesting to you. In the meanwhile 
give my most friendly remembrances to Leslie, and 
believe me truly yours, Washington Irving. 

Some time in June, William C. Preston, then 
a young man of twenty-three, afterwards a dis- 
tinguished Senator of the United States, arrived 
in Liverpool, where he made the acquamtance of 
the author, with whom and his brother Peter he 
arranged a pedestrian excursion into Wales. J 
find among Mr. Irving's papers some rough notes 
of this excursion, made in the latter part of Jime. 

They were afterwards together, as will be 
seen, ii Scotland. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 273 

July 11th he writes to Brevoort, who kept 
urging his return : — ■ 

I have no intention of returning home for a year 
at least. I am waiting to extricate myself from the 
ruins of our unfortunate concern, after which I shall 
turn my back upon this scene of care and distress, 
and shall pass a considerable part of my time in 
London. I have a plan, which, with very little 
trouble, will yield me lor the present a scanty but 
sufficient means of support, and leave me leisure to 
look around for something better. I cannot at pres- 
ent explain to you what it is. You would probably 
consider it precarious, and inadequate to my subsist- 
ence, but a small matter will float a drowning man. 

The plan here hinted at was to make some 
airangemeiits with booksellers for the re|)ublica- 
tion in America of choice English works, and to 
throw them into the hands of Moses Thomas, the 
Philadelphia publisher, at a stipulated compensa- 
tion. It was a plan which could give him present 
subsistence, aiid enable him. in the meanwhile, 
to employ his pen, to which his thoughts now be- 
gan to turn, though he kept it a secret even from 
Brevoort. 

At this period of gloom and disaster he re- 
ceived from one whose name will recur hereafter 
the following animating and almost prophetic 
epistle. The writer had made the acquaintance 
of Mr. Irving in the United States, which he 
visited about the time of the completion of " Sal- 
magundi," as a lecturer on eloquence and criticism, 
introducing a style of reading and speaking, 
traces of which, I have been told, remain to this 

VOL. I. 18 



274 LIFE AND LETTERS 

day. He was the son of Dr. Ogilvle, the Scot« 

tish poet. 

London, July 22d, 1817. 

The intelligence, my dear Irving, of the misfor- 
tune you have sustained, has reached me, and as it 
may affect the prosperity and happiness of persons 
near and most dear to you, all my sympathy with 
your feelings was awakened. 

So far, however, as you are individually concerned, 
I should deem the language of condolence a sort of 
mockery. 

I am perfectly confident that even in two years 
you will look back on this seeming disaster as the 
most fortunate incident that has befallen you. 

Yet in the flower of youth, in possession of higher 
literary reputation than any of your countrymen 
have hitherto claimed, esteemed and beloved by all 
to whom you are intimately or even casually known, 
you want nothing but a stimulus strong enough to 
overcome that indolence which, in a greater or less 
degree, besets every human being. This seemingly 
unfortunate incident will supply this stimulus — you 
will return with renovated ardor to the arena yon 
have for a season abandoned, and in twelve months 
win trophies, for which, but for this incident, you 
would not even have contended. 

At this moment, in your secret soul, you feel aspi- 
rations and reachings, which presage and guarantee 
the completion of all and more than all to which 1 

look forward 

Believe me to be. 

Yours most affectionately, 

James Ogilvie. 

Soon after the receipt of this letter, Mr. Ir- 
mg left Liverpool for London, where he arrived 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 275. 

about the first of August, and spent three weeks 
during the summer heats. It was in this interval, 
as his memoranda show, that he made that ram- 
ble of observation, depicted in the " Sketch 
Book," in which he was so sorely buffeted against 
the current of population setting through Fleet 
Street, and, in a movement of desperation, tore 
his way through the throng and pkuiged into a 
little narrow by-way, which led him through 
several nooks and angles, until he found himself 
in a court of the Temple. Of this period we 
have some further particulars of interest in the 
following passages of a letter to Brevoort, dated 
August 28 : — 

I was in London for about three weeks, when the, 
town was quite deserted. I found, however, suffi- 
cient objects of curiosity and interest to keep me in 
a Avorry ; and amused myself by exploring various 
parts of the city, which in the dirt and gloom of 
winter would be almost inaccessible. 

I passed a day with Campbell at Sydenham. He 
is still simmering over his biographical and critical 
labors, and has promised to forward more letter- 
press to you. He says he will bring it out the com- 
ing autumn. He has now been teasing his brain 
with this cursed work about seven years — a most 
lamentable waste of time and poetic talent. 

Campbell seems to have an inclination to pay 
America a visit, having a great desire to see the 
country, and to visit his brother, whom he has not 
seen for. many years. The expense, however, is a 
complete obstacle. I think he might easily be in- 
iuced to cross the seas ; and his visit made a very 
advantageous one to our country. He has twelve 



276 LIFE AND LETTERS 

lectures written out on poetry and belles-lettres^ 
which he has delivered with great applause to the 
most brilliant London audiences. I believe you 
have heard one or two of them. They are highly 
Bpoken of by the best judges. Now could not sub- 
scription lists be set on foot in New York and Phila- 
delphia, among the first classes of people, for a 
course of lectures in each city ; and when a suffi- 
cient number of names is procured to make it an 
object, the lists sent to Campbell with an invitation 
to come over and deliver the lectures. It would be 
highly complimentary to him — would at once re- 
move all pecuniary difficulties; and, if he accepted 
the invitation, his lectures would have a great effect 
in giving an impulse to American literature, and 
a proper direction to the public taste. Say the 
subscription was ten dollars for the course of lec- 
tures. I should think it an easy matter to fill up a 
large list at that rate ; for how many are there in 
New York, who would give that sum to hear a 
course of lectures on belles-lettres, from one of the 
first poets of Great Britain ! I sounded Campbell 
on the subject, and have no doubt that he would 
accept such an invitation. Speak to Ren wick on 
the subject, and if you will take it in hand I am 
sure it will succeed. Charles King would, no doubt, 
promote a thing of the kind ; and Dr. Hosack would 
be delighted to give his assistance, and would be a 

most efficient aid I saw two or three 

of the Lions of the " Quarterly Review " in Murray's 
Den ; but almost all of the literary people are out 
of town ; and those that have not the means of trav- 
elling, lurk in their garrets, and affect to be in the 
country ; for you know these poor devils have a 
great desire to be thought fasliionable. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 277 

The proposition here suggested in Campbell's 
Dchalf was taken up in America, but afterwards 
discouraged by himself; he pleading that he wag 
too old. 

The following letter gives an account of a 
dinner at Murray's, and has allusion to his pro- 
ject of procuring works for republication in 
America, with glimpses of Scott, Campbell, and 
D' Israeli, the author of the " Curiosities of Lit- 
erature " and other works which had a great cur- 
rency in the United States. "King Stephen " is 
Stephen Price, the manager of the Park Theatre 
in New York, and the " Dusky Davy " is Long- 
worth, the publisher of " Salmagundi," and who 
at this time aspired to a monopoly in the publi- 
cation of plays. " Mishter Miller " is the Lon- 
don bookseller who preceded Murray in the 
publication of the " Sketch Book." 

[To Peter Irving, Esq."] 

London, August 19, 1817. 
My dear Brother : — 

I have yours of the 1 7th. I received likewise the 
parcel, which contained a letter from Brevoort, and 
one from Mrs. Bradish. I inclose Brevoort's to 
you. 

I had a very pleasant dinner at Murray's. I met 
there with D'Israeli, and an artist, just returned 
Irom Italy with an immense number of beautiful 
sketches of Italian scenery and architecture. 

D'Israeli's wife and daughter came in, in the 
course of the evening, and we did not adjourn until 
twelve o'clock. I had a long tete-^i-tete with old 
D'Israeli in a corner. He is a very pleasant, cheer- 



278 LIFE AND LETTERS 

ful old fellow ; curious about America, and evidently 
tickled at the circulation his works have had there ; 
though, like most authors just now, he groans at not 
being able to participate in the profits. Murray 
was very merry and loquacious. He showed me a 
long letter from Lord Byron, who is in Italy. It is 
written with some flippancy, and is an odd jumble. 
His lordship has written 104 stanzas of the 4th 
canto. He says it will be less metaphysical than 
the last canto, but thinks it will be at least equal to 
either of the preceding. Murray left town yester- 
day for some watering-place, so that I had no further 
talk with him ; but am to keep my eye on his ad- 
vertisements, and write to him when anything offers 
that I may think worth republishing in America. 
I shall find liim a most valuable acquaintance on my 
return to London. 

I called at Longman & Co.'s, according to appoint- 
ment, and saw Mr. Orme. They are not disposed, 
however, to make any arrangement. They have 
been repeatedly disappointed in experiments of the 
kind, and are determined not to trouble their 
thoughts any more on the subject. They had just 
received letters from America on the subject of 
Moore's poem, " Lalla Rookh," which they had sent out 
either in MSS. or sheets ; but there were two or 
three rival editions in the market, which would 
prevent any profits of consequence. 

They intimated that they would be willing to give 
an advantage in respect to the republication of new 
svorks, for any moderate price in cash ; but they 
would not perplex and worry themselves with any 
further arrangements, which were only troublesome 
and profitless. They intimated, for instance, a dis- 
position to sell an early copy of " Rob Roy" for a small 
gum in hand. But as I knew they had not yet re- 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 279 

oeived the MSS. of that work, I did not make any 
offer. It will be time enough by and by. I find 
it is pretty generally believed that Scott is the 
author of those novels, and Verplanck ^ tells me he 
is now travelling about, collecting materials for " Rob 
Roy." I see that there will be a great advantage in 
being here on tie spot during the literary seasons, 
with funds to make purchases from either authors or 
booksellers. They consider the chance of participa- 
tion in American republication so very slender and 
contingent, that they will accept any sum in hand, 
as so much money found. I have written to Thomas, 
advising him to remit funds to me for the purpose ; 
if he does so, I will be able to throw many choice 
works into his hands. 

Mishter Miller is full of the project of going out 
to New York, to set up an establishment there. He 
thinks he will have an advantage in publishing 
plays, from his interest with the theatres here, which 
will enable him to get MS. copies, and the counte- 
nance of King Stephen, which has been promised 
him. He talks of embarking in September or Oc- 
tober, should he be able to make his arrangements 
in time. He must beware the " Dusky Davy." 

In some notes of this dinner at Murray's, 
which came off August 16th, I find this record: 
" Lord Byron told Murray that he was much 
happier after breaking with Lady Byron — he 
hated this still quiet life." 

1 Gulian C Verplar ck, who was then traveUing m Europe 



CHAPTER XXI. 

Lietters to Peter. — Visit to Edinburgh. — Jeffrey. — William 
C. Preston. — Lady Davy. — Visit to Abbotsford. —Anec- 
dotes of Scott and his Family. — Excursion to the Highlands 
with Preston. — Constable. — Scott's Impression of Irving. 
— Letter to Brevoort on his Approaching Marriage. — 
Campbell. 




HE 

dated 



foUowinor letter from Mr. Irvingf is 



Edinburgh, August 26th, 1817 



to which place he had gone, as well for 
pleasure as with some views to future plans. 
After giving to his brother Peter, to whom it is 
addressed, some account of his fellow passengers 
on board the smack Lively for Berwick, in which 
he had embarked, he proceeds : — 

The first two days of our voyage were unfavor- 
able ; we had rain and head wind, and had to anchor 
whenever the tide turned. But Saturday, though 
calm, was beautiful, with a bright sunny afternoon 
and a bright moon at night. On Sunday we had a 
glorious breeze, and dashed bravely through the 
water. T have always fine health and fine spirits at 
sea, and enjoyed the latter part of this little voyage 
excessively. On Monday morning we came in sight 
of the coast of Northumberland, which at first was 
wrapped in mist ; but as it cleared away, we saw 
Dunstanborough Castle at a distance ; and sometime 



LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 281 

after, we passed in full view of Bamborough Castle, 
which stands in bleak and savage grandeur on the 
sea-coast. You may recollect these places, mentioned 
in the course of the Abbess of Hilda's voyage in 
" Marmion " : — 

" And next they crossed themselves to hear 
The whitening breakers sound so near, 
Where boiling through the rocks they roar 
On Dunstanboroiigh's caverned shore. 
Thy tower, proud Bamborough, marked they there; 
King Ida's castle, huge and square. 
From its tall rock look grimly down 
And on the swelling ocean firowu." 

We next skirted the Holy Isle, which was the 
scene of Constance de Beverly's trial ; and where the 
remains of the Monastery of St. Cuthbert are still 
visible ; though apparently converted into some hum- 
bler purposes, as a residence of people that attend 
the beacons. To make a long story short, however, 
about twelve o'clock I landed at Berwick. I had in- 
tended proceeding from thence to Kelso, and so to 
Melrose, etc. ; but I found there would be no coach in 
that direction until Wednesday ; so I determined to 
come to Edinburgh direct, and visit Melrose from 
thence. After walking about Berwick, therefore, and 
surveying its old bridge, walls, etc., I mounted a 
coach and rattled off through the rich scenes of Lo- 
thian to this place, where I arrived late last night. 

I got the parcel from you this morning ; but nei- 
her Mrs. Fletcher nor Mr. Erskine are in town. I 
left a card for Jeffrey, whose family is three miles 
out of town. His brother called on me about an 
hour afterwards, but I was not at home. Edinburgh 
is perfectly deserted, so that I shall merely liave to 
look at the buildings, streets, etc., and then be off. I am 



282 LIFE AND LETTERS 

enchanted with the general appearance of the place. 
It far surpasses all my expectations ; and, except 
Naples, is, I think, the most picturesque place I have 
ever seen. 

I dined to-day with Mr. Jeffrey, Mrs. Renwick's 
brother. He informs me that Mrs. Fletcher is in 
Selkirkshire, but that the family is rather secluded, 
having lost one of the young ladies about three 
months since by a typhus fever. I did not learn 
which it was. Mrs. Grant is likewise in the High- 
lands. 

Walter Scott is at Abbotsford ; busy, it is sup- 
posed, about " E,ob Roy," having lately been travelling 
for scenery, etc. They told me at Constable's that 
it will be out in October, though others say not until 
towards Christmas. As it will probably be some 
days before Preston reaches here, I do not know but 
I shall make excursion to Melrose, and make an 
attempt on Walter Scott's quarters, so as to be back 
in time to accompany Preston to the Highlands. I 
have a very particular letter to Scott from Camp- 
bell 

August 21th. — A gloomy morning, with a steady 
pitiless rain. What a contrast to the splendor of 
yesterday, which was a warm day, with now and 
then a very light shower, and an atmosphere loaded 
Avith rich clouds through which the sunshine fell in 
broad masses ; giving an endless diversity of light and 
shadow to the grand romantic features of this town. 
It seemed as if the rock and castle assumed a new 
aspect every time I looked at them ; and Arthui''s 
Sea*" was perfect witchcraft. I don't wonder that 
any one residing in Edinburgh should write poetic- 
\lly ; I rambled about the bridges and on Calton 
height yesterday, in a perfect intoxication of the 
uiind. I did not vi iit a single public building ; but 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 283 

merely gazed and reveled on the romantic scenery 
around me. The enjoyment of yesterday alone 
would be a sufficient compensation for the whole 
journey. 

There is nobody in Edinburgh, and I shall merely 
remain here as a headquarters from whence to make 
two or three excursions about the neighborhood. I 
think it probable I shall leave this by the 4th of next 
month. 

Your affectionate Brother W. I. 

Half-past one. — Jeffrey has just called on me. 
I am to dine with him to-day en /ami lie, and also to- 
morrow, when I shall meet Dugald Stewart and 
Madame La Voissler, whilom the Countess De 
Rumford. Jeffrey tells me I am lucky in meeting 
with Dugald Stewart, as he does not come to Edin- 
burgh above once in a month. 

P. S. — As I was too late for the mail yesterday, 
I have reopened this letter, merely to add a word or 
two more. 

I walked out to Jeffrey's castle yesterday with his 
brother, John Jeffrey, and had a very pleasant din- 
ner. I found Jeffrey extremely friendly and agree- 
able ; indeed, I could not have wished a more cor- 
dial reception and treatment. He has taken an 
ancient castellated mansion on a lease of thirty-two 
jrears, and has made alterations and additions, so 
that it is quite comfortable, and even elegant within, 
and is highly picturesque without. Jeffrey inquired 
^:)articularly after you. He offered me a letter to 
Scott; but as Campbell's is very particular, I thought 
it would be sufficient. He is to mark out a route 
for me in the Highlands. I expect to be much 
gratified by my dinner there to-day. I find in addi- 
tion to the persons already mentioned, we are to 



284 LIFE AND LETTERS 

ha\e Sir Humphrey Davy's lad}'^, who was formerly 

Miss Apreece, and a helle esprit 

The weather is still sulky and threatening. If \% 
is fine to-morrow, I shall probably be off for Melrose. 

[Tb Peter Irving.'] 

Abbotsford, September 1, 1817. 
My dear Brother : — 

I have barely time to scrawl a line before the 
yossoon goes off with the letters to the neighboring 
post-office. 

I was disappointed in my expectation of meeting 
with Dugald Stewart at Mr. Jeffrey's ; some circum- 
stance prevented his coming ; though we had Mrs. 
and Miss Stewart. The party, however, was very 
agreeable and interesting. Lady Davy was in 
excellent spirits, and talked like an angel. In the 
evening, when we collected in the drawing-room, she 
held forth for upwards of an hour ; the company 
drew round her and seemed to listen in mute pleas- 
ure ; even Jeffrey seemed to keep his colloquial pow • 
ers in check to give her full chance. She reminded 
me of the picture of the Minister Bird with all 
the birds of the forest perched on the surrounding 
branches in listenino; attitudes. I met there with 
Lord Webb Seymour, brother to the Duke of Somer- 
set. He is almost a constant resident of Edinburgh. 
He was very attentive to me ; wrote down a route 
for me in the Highlands, and called on rae the next 
morning, when he detailed the route more partic- 
ularly. I have promised to see him when I return 
to Edinburgh, which promise I shall keep, as I like 
him much. 

On Friday, in spite of sullen, gloomy weather, T 
mounted the top of the mail coach, and rattled ofl 
to Selkirk. It rained heavily in the course of the 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 285 

afternoon, and drove me inside. On Saturdaj 
mornino- early I took chaise for Melrose ; and on the 
way stopped at the gate of Abbotsford, and sent in 
my letter of introduction, with a request to know 
whether it would be agreeable for Mr. Scott to re- 
ceive a visit from me in the course of the day. The 
glorious old minstrel himself came limping to the 
gate, took me by the hand in a way that made me 
feel as if we were old friends ; in a moment I was 
seated at his hospitable board among his charming 
little family, and here have I been ever since. I 
had intended certainly being back to Edinburgh to- 
day (Monday), but Mr. Scott wishes me to stay un- 
til Wednesday, that we may make excursions to Dry- 
burgh Abbey, Yarrow, etc., as the weather has held 
up and the sun begins to shine. I cannot tell you 
how truly I have enjoyed the hours I bave passed 
here. They fly by too quick, yet each is loaded 
with story, incident, or song ; and when I consider 
the world of ideas, images, and impressions that have 
been crowded upon my mind since I have been here, 
it seems incredible that I should only have been two 
days at Abbotsford. I have rambled about the hills 
with Scott ; visited the haunts of Thomas the 
Rhymer, and other spots rendered classic by border 
tale and witching song, and have been in a kind of 
dream or delirium. 

As to Scott, I cannot express my delight at his 
character and manners. He is a sterling goldvm- 
hearted old worthy, full of the joyousness of youth, 
with an imagination continually furnishing forth pic- 
ture, and a charming simplicity of manner that puts 
you at ease with him in a moment. It has been a 
constant source of pleasure to me to remark his de- 
portment towards his family, his neighbors, his do- 
mestics, his ver ^ dogs and cats ; everything that 



286 LIFE AND LETTERS 

comes within his infiuence seems to catch a beam of 
that sunshine that plays round liis heart ; but I 
shall say more of him hereafter, for he is a theme 
on which I shall love to dwell. 

Before I left Edinburgh I saw Blackwood in his 
shop. It was accidental — my conversing with him. 
He found out who I was ; is extremely anxious to 
make an American arrangement ; wishes to get me 
to write for his Magazine ; (the " Edinburgh Month- 
ly.") Wishes to introduce me to Mackenzie, Wil- 
son, etc. Constable called on me just before 1 left 
town. He had been in the country and just re- 
turned. He was very friendly in his manner. Lord 
Webb Seymour's coming in interrupted us, and Con- 
stable took leave. I promised to see him on my 
return to Edinburgh. He is about regenerating the 
old " Edinburgh Magazine," and has got Blackwood's 
editors away from him in consequence of some ferd 
they had with him 

Commend me to Hamilton. I hope to hear fron> 
him soon, and shall write to him again. 

Your affectionate brother, 

W. I. 

P. S. — This morning we ride to Dry burgh Abbe} 
and see also the old Earl of Buchan — who, you 
know, is a queer one. 

\To the same-l 

Edinburgh, September 6, 1817. 
My dear Brother: — 

.... I left Abbotsford on Wednesday morning, 
and never left any place with more regret. The few 
days that I passed there were among the most delight- 
ful of my life, and worth as many years of ordinary 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 287 

existence. We made a charming excursion to Dry- 
burgh Aboey, but were prevented making our visit 
to Yarrow by company. I was with Scott from morn- 
ino- to night ; rambling about the hills and streams, 
every one of which would bring to his mind some 
old tale or picturesque remark. I was charmed with 
his family. He has two sons and two daughters. 
Sophie Scott, the eldest, is between seventeen 
and eighteen, a fine little mountain lassie, with a 
great deal of her father's character ; and the most 
engaging frankness and naivete. Ann, the second 
daughter, is about sixteen ; a pleasing girl, but her 
manner is not so formed as her sister. The oldest 
lad, Walter, is about fifteen; but surprisingly tall 
of his age, having the appearance of nineteen. He 
is quite a sportsman. Scott says he has taught him 
to ride, to shoot, and to tell the truth. The younger 
boy, Charles, however, is the inheritor of his father's 
genius; he is about twelve, and an uncommonly 
sprightly amusing little fellow. It is a perfect pic- 
ture to see Scott and his household assembled of an 
evening — the dogs stretched before the fire; the 
cat perched on a chair ; Mrs. Scott and the girls 
sewing, and Scott either reading out of some old 
romance, or telling border stories. Our amusements 
were occasionally diversified by a border song from 
Sophia, who is as well versed in border minstrelsy 
as her father. 

I am in too great a hurry, however, to make de- 
tails. I took the most friendly farewell of them all 
on Wednesday morning, and had a cordial invitation 
from Scott to give him another visit on my return 
from the Highlands; which, I think it probable, 1 
shall do. 

I found Preston here on my arrival ; he had been 
m Edinburgh for three days. We shall set off for 



288 LIFE AND LETTERS 

the Higlilands to-morrow. Scott has given me a 
letter to Hector Micdonald Buchanan of Rosa 
Priory, Loch Lomond, with a request for him to 
give me a day on the lake. This Macdonald is a 
fine fellow, I understand, and a particular friend of 
Scott. He took Scott up the lake lately in his 
barge, when Scott visited Loch Lomond, so I shall 
be able to trace Scott in his Rob Roy scenery. 

We dined yesterday with Constable, and met Pro- 
fessor Leslie there ; with whom T was somewhat 
pleased, and more amused. 

I have arranged with Constable, greatly to my sat- 
isfaction in respect to books, etc., and shall be en- 
abled to forward " Rob Roy " in time to secure the 
first publication to Thomas. 

I have also made an arrangement with Black- 
wood. 

I shall return to Edinburgh after my visit to the 
Highlands, and stop here a day or two ; so you may 
address letters to me here — MacGregor's. 

I received a very pleasant letter from Hamilton, 
for which give him my thanks, and assure him I will 
answer it the first leisure moment. 

Aflfectionately your brother, 

W. I. 

[7o the same.'\ 

Edinburgh, September 20, 1817. 
My dear Brother: — 

T arrived here late last evening after one of the 
most delightful excursions I ever made. We have 
had continual good weather, and weather of the 
most remarkable kind for the season — warm, genial, 
Berene sunshine. AVe have journeyed in every va- 
riety of mode — by chaise, by coach, by gig, by 
boat, on foot, and in a cart : and have visited soma 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 289 

of the most remarkable and beautiful scenes in Scot- 
land. The journey has been a complete trial of 
Preston's indolent habits. I had at first to tow him 
along by main strength, for he has as much alacrity 
at coming to anchor, and is as slow getting under 
way, as a Dutch lugger. The grand difficulty was 
to get him up in the morning ; however, by dint of 
perseverance, I at last succeeded in rousing him 
from his lair at six o'clock, and making him pad the 
hoof often, from morning till night. The early part 
of the route he complained sadly, and fretted occa- 
sionally ; but as he proceeded, he grew into con- 
dition and spirits, went through the latter part in 
fine style, and I brought him into Edinburgh in per- 
fect order for the turf .... 

I must hasten to conclude this letter ; this is Satur- 
day, and I wish to arrange what I have to do in this 
place this morning, that I may leave it, if possible, 
on Monday morning. I intend to pay another visit 
to Abbotsford ; I could not leave Scotland with a 
quiet conscience, if I did not have one more crack 
with the prince of minstrels, and pass a few more 
happy hours with his charming family. I want to 
set out another evening there ; Scott reading, occa- 
sionally, fi:'om " Prince Arthur " ; telling border stories 
or characteristic anecdotes ; Sophy Scott singing 
with charming naivete a little border song ; the rest 
of the family disposed in listening gi'oups, while grey- 
bounds, spaniels, and cats bask In unbounded Indul- 
gence before the fire. Everything around Scott Is 
perfect character and picture. 

On my return to Edinburgh, I found a most 
friendly note from Jeffrey, dated some time back. In- 
viting me to dinner on the day after, to meet again 
Lady Davy and Sir Humphrey ; or three days after 

YOU J. i;i 



290 LIFE AND LETTER J 

to meet Dr. Mason of New York. I am too late 
for either party. 

[To the same.~\ 

Edinburgh, Sunday, September 22, 1817. 
Dear Brotheu : — 

I leave Edinburgh in about half an hour on my 
way to England. I have been induced to hasten my 
departure a little for the purpose of having Preston's 
company, whom, 1 think it probable, I shall bring to 
Liverpool, and then send him on by South Wales to 
London. I have arranged matters entirely with 
Constable and Blackwood, and have nothing further 
to detain me here. 

I dined yesterday with Jeffrey, and found a very 
agreeable party of Edinburgh gentlemen there ; I 
cannot but repeat how much I feel obliged to Jeffrey 
for his particular attentions, and the very friendly 
manner in which lie has deported towards me. He 
has made his house like a home to me. I have had 
many kind invitations to return and pass part of the 
winter in Edinburgh, Avhen the fashionable world 
will be here : and, indeed, I have met with nothing 
but agreeable people and agreeable incidents ever 
since I have been in Scotland. 

Mr. Constable will send by coach a parcel for me 
(jontaining an engraving from a fine painting whicli 
he has of Walter Scott. I wish you to take care of 
it. There are but a limited number of impressions 
taken ; I feel much obliged to Mr. Constable for the 
present, and great value for the engraving. I forgot 
to mention that I did not visit Inchbracken, as the 
coach to Perth did not go in that direction, and we 
could not conveniently bring it into our route. We go 
to Selkirk to-night, and to-morrow shall pay Scott a 
visit. I do not mean to stop with him, however, as 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING, li31 

I understand he has been run down with company 
lately, and must require all his leisure to get " Rob 
Roy " through the press in time. 

I can perceive Constable is a little uneasy lest 
Scott's time should be too much taken up by com- 
pany. Your affectionate brother, 

W. I. 

Scott was absent on this second call, so that he 
was disappointed in seeing him. 

In a note in his " Life of Scott," Lockhart gives 
the minstrel's impression of his American visitor, 
which I quote : — 

There is in my hand a letter from Scott to his 
friend John Richardson, dated 22d September, 1817, in 
which he says : " When you see Tom Campbell, tell 
him, with my best love, that I have to thank him for 
making me known to Mr. Washington Irving, who is 
one of the best and pleasantest acquaintances I have 
made this many a day." 

The situation to which allusion is made in the 
following letter to Brevoort, was the Secretary- 
ship of Legation at the Court of St. James, for 
which his brother William, then in Congress, was 
exerting himself to get him appointed, but with- 
out success. The preface shows that Brevoort 
had announced to him his intended marriage. 

Liverpool, October 10, 1817. 
My dear Bkevoort : — 

I have received your letter of August 21st, and con- 
gratulate you most iieartily on the happy change you 
are about to make in your situation. I had heard 
rumors of tlie atfisir before I received vour letters, 



292 LfFE AND LETTERS 

and every account represented the lady of your 
choice exactly such a one as your best friends could 
have wished for you. I am almost ashamed to say 
that at first the news had rather the effect of making 
me feel melancholy than glad. It seemed, in a 
manner, to divorce us forever ; for marriage is the 
grave of bachelor intimacies, and after having lived 
and grown together for many years, so that our 
habits, thoughts, and feelings were quite blended and 
intertwined, a separation of this kind is a serious 
matter ; not so much to you, who are transplanted 
into the garden of matrimony, to flourish, and fruc- 
tify, and be caressed into prosperity, but for poor 
me, left lonely and forlorn, and blasted by every 
wind of heaven, 

I feel gi'atified by the exertions my 
friends are making to get rae the situation in Lon 
don, though I doubt their success. These places are 
generally given to political favorites. I merely 
wanted such a situation for a little while. I have 
no desire to remain long in Europe ; still, while I am 
here, I should like to be placed on good ground, and 
look around me advantageously. 

Though William had failed to obtain for 
Washington the Secretaryship of Legation, his 
situation continued to engage his mind ; for early 
in December I find him writing to Ebenezer, 
from the seat of government : — 

I have not been inattentive to the situation of 

brothers Washington and Peter. I have had two 

jonversations with Clay on the subject. He stands 

ready to aid in anything that can be suggested. 

You may rest assured that I will do m) 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 293 

best. I need no pressing on that head, for my mind 
is full of the subject. I think on it night and day. 

The author, however, was shaping his course 
for himself ; and we have, in the following ex- 
tract of a letter to his brother William, the first 
indistinct intimation of his intention to make a 
businer^s of literature. 

Liverpool, December 23, 1817, 
Ebenezer tells me you have been ex- 
erting }'Ourself to get me appointed to the Secretary- 
ship of Legation at the Court of St. James, but 
without success ; but that you hoped to get some 
other appointment for me. I feel in this as in many 
other things deeply indebted to your affectionate 
care for my interests ; but I do not anticipate any 
favors from government, which has so many zealous 
and active partizans to serve ; and I should not like 
to have my name hackneyed about among the office- 
seekers and office-givers at Washington. 

For my own part, I require very little for my 
support, and hope to be able to make that little by 
my own exertions. I have led comparatively such 
a lonely life for the greater part of the time that I 
have been in England, that my habits and notions 
are very much changed. For a long Avhile past, I 
have lived almost entirely at home ; sometimes not 
leaving the house for two or three days, and yet I 
have not had an hour pass heavily ; so that if I 
could but see my brothers around me prospering, 
Hnd be relieved from this cloud that hangs over us 
\11, I feel as if I would be contented to give up all 
i!he gayeties of life. I certainly think that no hope 
pf gain, however flattering, would tempt me again 
into the car^ and sordid concerns of traffic. • . 



29 t LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 

I have been urged by several of my friends to 
return home immediately ; their advice is given on 
vague and general ideas that it would be to my ad- 
vantage. My mind is made up to remain a little 
longer in Europe, for definite, and, I trust, ad- 
vantageous purposes, and such as ultimately point 
to my return to America, where all my views and 
wishes, my ambition and my affection sare centered. 
I give you this general assurance, which, I trust, 
will be received with confidence, and save the neces- 
sity of particular explanations, which it would be 
irksome for me to make. I feel that my future 
career must depend very much upon myself, and 
therefore every step I take at present, is done with 
proper consideration. In protracting my stay in 
Europe I certainly do not contemplate pleasure, for 
I look forward to a life of loneliness and of parsi- 
monious and almost painful economy. 





CHAPTER XXII. 

Bankruptcy. — Studies German. — Letter from Allston, giv- 
ing Account of his New Subject for Knickerbocker. — His 
" Angel Uriel." — Leslie's Opinion of it. —Letter from All- 
ston. — Lord Egremont's Purchase of his " Jacob's Dream." 
— Letter to Leslie. — Goes up to London to try his Pen. — 
Parting with Allston. — Sketch uf Leslie and Newton. — 
Letter to Brevoort about New Edition of Knickerbocker. — 
No intention of Publishing in England. —Declines an Offer 
of a Place under Government. 

|N the beginning of the year 1818, after - 
vain and harassing attempts to com- 

promise with their creditors, Peter and 

Washington made up their minds, as the surest 
mode of perfect extrication, to take the benefit 
of the Bankrupt Act. It was a humiliating or- 
deal to go through for two proud-spirited men ; 
and especially for Washington, who was a mere 
nominal party in the concern. Their first meet- 
ing before the Commissioners of Bankruptcy 
took place on the 27th of January, and their last 
on the 14th of March. At this time Washington 
had shut himself up from society and was study- 
ing German, day and night, in the double hope 
that it would be of service to him, and tend to 
keep off uncomfortable thoughts. Three <lays 
ftft^r he received from Allston the following let- 



296 LIFE AND LETTERS 

ter, which gives the artist's own notion of a De"W 
comic subject he had chosen for iUustration, de 
simied for a third edition of Knickerbocker's 
"History of New York," with other particulars 
of interest respecting himself : — 

London, March 13, 1818. 
My dear Irving : — 

I received yours of the 5th, and have the pleasure 
to inform you that the drawing is finished, and now 
in the hands of the engraver ; to whom I gave it 
(since you were so good as to rely on my judgment) 
as soon as it was finished. I gave up the subject 
which Leslie mentioned, and chose another with 
which I am much better pleased, namely, a Schepen 
doing duty to a Burgomaster's joke. 

Leslie agrees with me in thinking it superior to 
the lawsuit. Indeed, so far as I can judge of my 
own work, it is one of my happiest comic efforts, if 
not the best. It contains six figures. I think no 
one could fail to see that the Burgomaster is bring- 
ing forth a joke ; for the action is so contrived as to 
leave no doubt of it. The Schepen who sits opposite 
to him, is laughing with all his might and main ; 
while the rest of the company, who have nothing to 
gain by a laugh, are impenetrably and most Dutchly 
grave. But I think I had better not describe it. 
Descriptions of pictures are generally flat. Besides, 
their impression is always better, at least truer, 
when they come upon us without preparation. So 
the less said the better. 

The plate after Leslie's ^ is finished, and I think 
you will be very much pleased with it. It makes 
a very beautiful print ; is extremely well engraved, 
but what particularly pleases me in it, is the close 

1 The allusion is to Leslie's sketch of the Dutch courtship 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 297 

rendering of the characters, which is the most im- 
poi-tant part in subjects of this kind. If the en- 
graver preserves mine as well, I shall be amply 
satisfied. I hope the time the engraver demands 
for graving my drawing will not inconveniently 
affect youc plans. His engagements, he says, are. 
so pressing, just at this <Ime, that he could not pos- 
sibly promise it sooner than four months hence. 

The price, also, is considerably higher than for 
Leslie's,^ being from thirty-five to forty guineas. If 
he can do it for thirty-five, he says, he will : but he 
will not limit himself to less than forty, nor be bound 
to five-and-thirty. 

The reason he gives for demanding so much more 
is the greater number of the figures and the quantity 
of detail. I was a little at a stand when I heard 
this ; but knowing no other engraver of his abilities 
that works so cheap, I concluded it must be done by 
him even at this rate. Do let me know by return 
of post if you approve of what I have done. 

Since my return from Paris I have painted two 
pictures, in order to have something in the present 
exhibition at the British Gallery : the subjects the 
angel Uriel in the sun, and Elijah in the wilderness. 
*' Uriel " was immediately purchased (at the price I 
asked, one hundred and fifty guineas) by the Marquis 
of Stafford, and the Directors of the British Insti- 
tution, moreover, presented me a donation of a hun- 
dred and fifty pounds, " as a mark of their approba- 
tion of the talent evinced," etc. The manner in 
which this was done was highly complimentary; and 
I can only say that it was full as gratifying as it was 
unexpected. As both these pictures together cost 
me but ten weeks, I do not regret having deducted 

1 Leslie's was twenty-five guineas. 



298 LIFE AND LETTERS 

that tiuie from the " Belshazzar," to whom I have 
since returned with redoubled vigor. 

I am almost sorry I did not exhibit " Jacob's 
Dream." If I had dreamt of this success, I certainly 
would have sent it there. 

I hope your affairs are being settled to your mind, 
and that we shall see you here soon. 

Yours affectionately, 

Washington Allston. 

Ogilvie has returned full of health and spirits 
from his success in Scotland. He has overcome his 
formidable enemy laudanum, and looks like another 
being. Leslie begs to be remembered. 

Of the picture which received this emphatic 
approbation from the Directors of the British 
Institution, Leslie had before written to Mr. Ir- 
ving this opinion : — 

Allston has just finished a very grand and poeti- 
cal figure of the angel Uriel sitting in the sun. The 
figure is colossal, the attitude and air very noble, 
and the form heroic without being overcharged. In 
the color he has been equally successful, and with a 
very rich and glowing tone he has avoided positive 
colors, which Avould have made him too material. 
There is neither red, blue, nor yellow in the picture, 
and yet it possesses a harmony equal to the best pic- 
tures of Paul Veronese. 

Mr. Irving was at Birmingham when he re- 
ceived from Allston the following reply to a let- 
ter on the subject of a plate for the Knicker- 
bocker engraving. It is the last letter of Alls- 
ton which I find among his papers, and cou« 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 299 

dudes with the saddening announcement to his 
correspondent that he had taken his passage for 
America. 

London, July 24, 1818. 
My dear Trying : — 

You are so accustomed to my apologies for epis- 
tolary delinquency that they must be to you like old 
stories ; so I had better say nothing about it. Les- 
lie, I believe, has already written to you on the sub- 
ject of the plate. I called on the engraver soon after 
the receipt of your letter, and was more grieved than 
surprised that it was not already finished ; for I know 
the press of his engagements, and remembered the 
difficulty he had In fixing on the time of its comple- 
tion, when I first put It into his hands. I would 
have strained a point to scold about it, if I had 
thought that would have mended the matter. But 
as it would not, I could only urge the importance of 
its speedy termination in the strongest way, and 
leave the rest to the engraver, who then promised to 
finish It as soon as it was In his power, and he has 
since engaged to produce a proof in the course of 
the next week. He begged that I would not insist 
on seeing the plate, as he never liked to show his 
works in an unfinished state. As that is also the 
case with myself, I did not urge it. But I have 
no doubt, from the ability he has shown in other 
works, that it will be well done. If it is equal to 
that he did from Leslie's drawing, I shall be more 
than satisfied. As soon as I see a proof I will write 
you. 

Now that you are your own master again, your 
muse, I suppose, has already paid you a visit. Fray 
do not turn your back upon her, for I have it on the 
testi'mony of thousands that she has not a greater 



SOO LIFE AND LE'lTERS 

favorite than yourself in all Parnassus. Do tell mo 
what you are doing, or mean to do. Your imagina- 
tion has been so long fallow that I anticipate a most 
luxurious harvest when you again cultivate it. 

Leslie tells me he has informed you of the sale of 
*' Jacob's Dream." I do not remember if you have 
seen it. The manner in which Lord Egremont 
bought it was particularly gratifying — to say noth- 
ing of the price, which is no trifle to me at present. 
But Leslie having told you all about it, I will not re- 
peat it. Indeed, by the account he gives me of his let- 
ter to you, he seems to have puffed me off in grand 
style. Well, you know I don't bribe him to do it. 
And " if they will buckle praise upon my back," 
why, I can't help it. 

Leslie has just finished a very beautiful little pic- 
ture of Anne Page inviting Master Slender into the 
house. Anne is exquisite ; soft and feminine, yet 
arch and playful, she is all she should be. Slender, 
also, is very happy ; he is a good parody on Milton's 
" linked sweetness long drawn out." Falstaff and 
Shallow are seen through a window in the back- 
ground. The whole scene is very picturesque, and 
beautifully painted. 'Tis his best picture. You 
must not think this praise the " return in kind.'* I 
give it because I really admire the picture, and I 
have not the smallest doubt that he will do great 
things when he is once freed from the necessity of 
painting portraits. 

Believe me affectionately yours, 

W. Allston, 

I suppose Leslie has told you that the price of 
printing your plates would be five pounds a thou- 
sand — and that on French paper, which is the best ; 
this includes paper. As I shall leave my lodgings in 



OF WASHINGTON JRVING. 301 

a short time, pray direct to me to '* ine care of Sam- 
uel Williams, Esq., No. 13 Finsbury Square." Lord 
Egremont has invited me to his seat at Petworth, 
and I shall go down there next week. I have taken 
my passage in the Galen from this port. Shall not 
I see you here before I go ? She sails about the 
tenth of Ausfust. 



A few days after the receipt of this letter, Mr. 
Irving writes as follows to Leslie : — 

Birmingham, July 29, 1818. 
My dear Sir : — 

I thank you for your letter and for the information 
it contains. I have since received one from Allston ; 
but as he will probably be out of town about this 
time, I must trouble you instead of him. T wish the 
plates put in the printer's hands as soon as possible, 
and to be executed on the best paper. Two thou- 
sand of each. I should like, also, to have three hun- 
dred proof impressions of each struck ofi' in such a 
manner that they would do to frame should any per- 
sons like to have them in that manner ; if not they 
can hereafter be' cut down to the size of the volume. 
You and Allston will have as many struck off for 
yourselves as you please. Let me know the whole 
expense, and I will send the money immediately. I 
have had my trunk packed to come to London, and 
should have attended to all this myself, but one cir- 
cumstance or other occurs to baffle my plans, and T 
am at this moment in a little uncertainty when I 
shall get there. I shall try hard to see Allston be- 
fore he sails ; had he been going to embark at Liv- 
erpool the thing would have been certain. 1 regret 
exceedingly that he goes to America, now that his 
prospects are opening; so j)romisingly in this country ; 



3C2 LIFE AND LETTERS 

bwt perLaps it is all for the best. His "Jacob's 
Dream " was a particular favorite of mine. I have 
gazed on it again and again, and the more I gazed the 
more I was delighted with it. I believe if I was a 
painter I could at this moment take a pencil and 
delineate the whole with the attitude and expression 
of every figure. 

Allstbn gives me a charming account of your pic- 
ture of Anne Page and Master Slender. I hope you 
will take frequent opportunities to steal away from 
the painting of portraits to give full scope to your 
taste and imagination. 

About the middle of August Mr. Irving went 
up to London and cast himself upon the world, 
determined to seek support from his pen. He 
had brought with him some unfinished sketches 
upon which he had been engaged, and which he 
had hoped to work up, but the very foreboding 
of his mind seemed to unfit it for composition. 

He had been but two weeks in London when 
he was called to the hard trial of parting with 
AUston. On first arriving in London he heard 
from Leslie that Allston was dining with Coler- 
idge at Highgate, and he went out there to meet 
him, and tried in vain to dissuade him from re- 
turning by urging he could do better where he 
was. Until informed of his intention to embark 
for America he had been looking forward with 
delight to a meeting with him and Leslie, and 
to an exchange of the hard and painful life he 
had been leading for one of intercourse with 
them. " As he drove off in the stage and waved 
his hand to n)e.'" said Mr. Irving, in adverting 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 303 

to this parting, " mj heart sank within me, and I 
returned gloomy and dispirited to my lodgings." 
At another time he said of AUston to me : — • 

He, was the most delightful, the most lovable be- 
ing I ever knew ; a man I would like to have had always 
at my side — to have gone through life with ; his 
nature was so refined, so intellectual, so genial, so 
pure. 

But though he felt deeply the departure of 
AUston, he could still hope for sympathy and 
companionship from Leslie and Newton. Leslie 
he had known as a boy, when he was attracting 
attention at Philadelphia by his likeness of 
Cooke, the actor, and he had met him since 
during his transient visits to London ; but their 
intimacy dates fiom the period of his present so- 
journing in the English capital. Leslie writes to 
him more than two years afterwards : — 

• You came to London just when I was losing AU- 
ston, and I stood in need of an intimate fiiend of 
similar tastes with my own. I not only owe to you 
some of the happiest social hours of my life, but jou 
opened to me a new range of observation in my art, 
and a perception of qualities and characters of 
things which painters do not always imbibe from 
each other. 

Stuart Newton he now met for the first time. 
He was the nephew of Gilbert Stuart, so well 
known for his celebrated portrait of Washington, 
and Leslie had met him the preceding year at 
Paris on his way from Italy to London. 

In the folio win ;j vear, about fifteen month? 



304 LIFE AND LETTERS 

after he bad come up to London, he writes thus 
of the two to Mrs. Hoffman : — 

My especial intimates are our young countrymen, 
Leslie and Newton, who have lodgings not far from 
mine, so that we see each other almost every day. 
You have no doubt heard of Leslie's rapidly increas- 
ing reputation. He has done himself vast credit 
lately by a beautiful picture of Sir Roger de Cov- 
erley going to church. He bids fair to take the 
lead in that most captivating line of painting, which 
consists in the delineation of familiar life. I make 
no doubt, in the course of a little while, he will be 
one of the most celebrated and most popular painters 
in Great Britain. He has all the materials within 
him for excelling in the walk he has chosen — a 
deep sense of moral feeling ; an exquisite idea of 
beauty ; a quick eye for character, and for external 
nature ; a rich vein of humor, chastened and sweet- 
ened by the purest benevolence of heart ; add to 
these a perfect devotion to his art, and an intimate 
knowledge of everything in it that depends upon 
study and diligent practice, and I think you will 
agree with me in forming the highest anticipations 
of his future celebrity. 

Newton is the nephew of Stuart, our great por- 
trait painter. He is not so experienced in his art 
as Leslie, but has uncommon requisites for it. There 
is a native elegance about everything he does ; a deli- 
cate taste, a playful fancy, and an extraordinary 
facility at achieving, without apparent labor or study, 
what other painters, with the labor and study of 
years, cannot attain. His eye for coloring is almost 
unrivaled, and produces beautiful (iffects, which have 
surprised experienced painters, who have been aim- 
ing at coloring all their lives. The only danger is. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 305 

that bis uncommon natural advantages may make 
him remiss in cultivating the more mechanical parts 
of his art ; and he may thus fall short of that pre- 
eminent stand in his profession which is completely 
within his reach, though he cannot fail at all events 
to become a highly distinguished painter. He is yet 
but a student in his art, but has produced several 
admirable portraits, a little fancy piece of FalstafTs 
escape in the buck-basket, of great merit, and is now 
engaged on a little cabinet picture for the next ex- 
hibition of the British gallery, which will be quite 
a gem. I have been rather prolix about these two 
intimates of mine, but I thought an account of them 
would be interesting to you, as being young men of 
whom our nation will hereafter have reason to be 
proud.^ 

About two months after he came up to Lon- 
don, October 13th, he vt^rites to Ebenezer : — 

I have forwarded to your care a parcel containing 
plates for the new edition of the " History of New 
York," which I will thank you to forward safely and 
without delay to Mr. Thomas, as I wish the work to 
be printed as soon as possible. There are but two 
plates, one for each volume ; but they are charming 
little things by Allston and Leslie, and are engraved 
in the best style. The engraving and printing of 
them has cost me about one hundred pounds ster 
ling. 

He had no purpose, as will be seen from this 
extract, of publishing the '• History of New 
York " in England ; nor had he any views of 

A From the Evening Post of Januarj' 12, 1820, where it 

was copied for insertion bv Mrs Hoffman. The letter from 

which it is extracted bore date November 26, 1819, and is lost- 
VOL. I. 20 



306 LIFE AND LETTERS 

that kind in preparing the " Sketch Book," upon 
which he was now engaged. The postscript to 
the letter would seem to be in reply to some in- 
quiry of his brother, and has a melancholy sig- 
nificance. 

As to the sealed packet, which I left with you, it 
may be destroyed. I have nothing now to leave my 
brothers but a blessing, and that they have whenever 
1 think of them. 

It was at this period that he received a letter 
from his brother William, informing him that his 
old friend, Decatur, was keeping a place open 
for him in the Navy Board ; that it was then in 
waiting for his answer, and would make him as 
independent and comfortable as he could wish. 

Commodore Decatur informs me (says the letter 
of October 24th) that he had made such arrange- 
ments, and such steps would further be made by the 
Navy Board, as that you will be able to obtain the 
office of first clerk in the Navy Department, which 
is similar to that of under-secretary in England. 
The salary is equal to $2,400 per annum, which, as 
the Commodore says, is sufficient to enable you to 
live in Washington like a prince. The Secretary of 
the Navy has resigned, and as harmony in that de- 
partment is wished, the President desires that the 
new one may meet with their approbation. They 
have been looking round for a suitable person, and 
they are resolved to make it a dne qua non with him, 
whoever he may be, that the present chief clerk, 
who has rendered himself peculiarly obnoxious to all 
the fine spirits of the Navy, shall be dismissed ; and 
they have determined to secure the berth for you, 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 307 

until your answer can be obtained. It Is a berth 
highly respectable — very comfortable in its income 
light in its duties, and will afford you a very ample 
leisure to pursue the bent of your literary inclina- 
tion. It may also be a mere stepping-stone to 
higher station, or may be considered at any rate 
permanent. 

To the o^reat chagrin of his brothers, William 
and Ebenezer, and contrary to their expectations, 
Washington declined this offer. 

Flattering as the prospect undoubtedly is, which 
your letters hold out (he writes to Ebenezer), I 
have concluded to decline it for various reasons, 
some of which I have stated to William. [This 
letter never came to hand, or has been lost.] The 
principal one is, that I do not wish to undertake any 
situation that must involve me in such a routine of 
duties as to prevent my attending to literary pur- 
suits. 

It was not without many misgivings that he 
brought himself to decline a certainty on such 
vague grounds ; and I have heard him say, that 
he was so disturbed by the responsibility he had 
taken in refusing such a situation, and trusting io 
the uncertain chances of literary success, that for 
two months he could scarcely write a line. 

His declining was a sad disappointment to his 
brother William, especially as Peter had also 
made up his mind to remain abroad, and, as ne 
expressed it, "battle the watch for himseli.'" 
" Home," writes this brother to Ebenezer, " has 
lost its chai-ms to both the Doctor and Washinj^- 
ton. It is as well to accommodate the heart to 



108 



LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 



its loss, and to consider thum, as to all but epis* 
tolary correspondence, dead to us." So far as 
William was concerned, this sentence was indeed 
prophetic. His health was already failing ; but 
he lived long enough to witness, with the deepest 
emotions of pride and delight, the brilliant suc- 
cess of the « Sketch Book." 




CHAPTER XXIII. 

Transmits Number I. of the " Sketch Book." — Letter to 
Ebenezer Irving on the Subject. — Motives for Remaining 
in Europe. — Letter to Brevoort requesting him to assume 
the Guardianship of his Literary Interests, etc. — Moses 
Thomas and Third Edition of Knickerbocker. — Publica- 
tion of First Number of "Sketch Book." — Verplanck's 
Notice of Number L — Number IL of the " Sketch Book." 

— Dana's Remarks on " Rural Life in England." — William 
Godwin on Number IL — Impatient Longing for Accounts 
from America. — Ogilvie's Sympathy. — Letters to Bre- 
voort. — Letter from Brevoort. — Publication of Number 
III. — Number IV. Forwarded. — Letters to Brevoort. — 
Letter to Leslie. — Republication of Number l. in the 
" London Literary Gazette." — The Three American Num- 
bers offered to Murray. — His Refusal. — Applies to Scott. 

— His Reply. — Draft of Irving's Reply. — Second Let- 
ter from Scott. — Resolve to Publish in England at his 
own Risk. 




N the beginning of this jear Washing- 
ton was joined by Peter, who had been 
detained at Liverpool and Birmingham, 
and who left soon after for Bordeaux on confiden- 
tial business for a house of high standing in 
London, while William was pressing him at home 
for an appointment of importance and handsome 
emolument under the treaty with Spain for set- 
tling claims. Meanwhile, Washington was pre- 
paring to launch the first number of the " Sketch 
Book." 



310 LIFE AND LETTERS 

The letter in which he transmits the manu- 
script to his brother Ebenezer, and the contents 
of which he requests him to keep to himself as 
" babblings only fit for a brotlier's eye," is charac- 
teristic and full of interest. It bears date Lon- 
don, March 3, 1819. 

I have sent (he writes) by Capt. Merry of the 
Rosalie the first number of a work which I hope to 
be able to continue from time to time. I send it 
more for the purpose of showing' you what I am 
about, as I find my declining the situation at Wash- 
ington has given you chagrin. The fact is, that 
situation would have given me barely a genteel sub- 
sistence. It would have led to no higher situations, 
for I am quite unfitted for political life. My talents 
are merely literary, and all my habits of thinking, 
reading, etc., have been in a difierent direction from 
that required for the active politician. It is a mis- 
take also to suppose I would fill an ofiice there, and 
devote myself at the same time to literature. I re- 
quire much leisure and a mind entirely abstracted 
fi:'om other cares and occupations, if I would write 
much or write well. I should therefore at Washing- 
ton be completely out of my element, and instead of 
adding to my reputation, stand a chance of impair- 
ing that which I already possess. If I ever get any 
solid credit with the public, it must be in the quiet 
and assiduous operations of my pen, under the mere 
guidance of fancy or feeling. 

I have been for some time past nursing my mind 
op for literary operations, and collecting materials 
for the purpose. I shall be able, I trust, now to 
produce articles from time to time that will be suf- 
ficient for my present support, and tbrm a stock of 
copyright property, that may be a little capital for 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. oil 

me hereafter. To carry this into better effect it is 
important for me to remain a little longer in Eu- 
rope, where there is so much food for observation, 
and objects of taste on which to meditate and im- 
prove. I feel myself completely committed in liter- 
ary reputation by what I have already written ; and 
I feel by no means satisfied to rest my reputation on 
my preceding writings. I have suffered several 
precious years of youth and lively imagination to 
pass by unimproved, and it behooves me to make the 
most of what is left. If I indeed have the means 
within me of establishing a legitimate literary repu- 
tation, this is the very period of life most auspicious 
for it, and I am resolved to devote a few years ex- 
clusively to the attempt. Should I succeed, besides 
the literaiy property I shall amass in copyright, I 
trust it will not be difficult to obtain some ofiicial 
situation of a moderate, unpretending kind, in which 
I may make my bread. But as to reputation I 
can only look for it through the exertions of my 

pen 

In fact, I consider myself at present as making a 
literary experiment, in the course of which I only 
care to be kept in bread and cheese. Should it not 
succeed — should my writings not acquire critical ap- 
plause. I am content to throw up the pen and take to 
any commonplace employment. But if they should 
succeed, it would repay me for a world of care and 
privation to be placed among the established authors 
of my country, and to win the affections of my 
countrymen. 

I have but one thins^ to add. I have 
low given you the leading motive of my actions — 
it may be a weak one, but it has full possession of 
me, and therefore the attainment of it is necessary 
to my comfort. I now wish to be left for a little 



312 LIFE AND LETTERS 

while entirely to the bent of my own inclination, and 
not agitated by new plans for subsistence, or by en- 
treaties to come home. My spirits are very unequal, 
and my mind depends upon them ; and I am easily 
thrown into such a state of perplexity and such de- 
pression as to incapacitate me lor any mental exer- 
tion. Do not, I beseech you, impute my lingering 
in Europe to any indifference to my own country or 
my friends. My greatest desire is to make myself 
worthy of the good-will of my country, and my 
greatest anticipation of happiness is the return to 
my friends. I am living here in a retired and soli- 
tary way, and partaking in little of the gayety of 
life, but I am determined not to return home until I 
have sent some writings before me that shall, if they 
have merit, make me return to the smiles, rather 
than skulk back to the pity of my friends. 

In this letter he had requested his brother 

Ebenezer to send the manuscript to for 

publication, but getting a communication from 
Brevoort just after he had concluded it, inform- 
ing him of this bookseller's delay in paying a 
di'aft for books purchased for him, and of which he 
(Brevoort) had advanced the amount, he now 
determines to place the manuscript in charge of 
Brevoort, and draw upon him when in want of 
money, against the probable profits of his new 
writing's. 

I give his letter to Brevoort, which introduces 
his request to his friend to assume the manage- 
ment of his literary interests, and brings them 
together in a new and interesting relation. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 313 

^ LoiJDON, March 3 1819. 

My dear Beevoort : — 

I have this moment received your letter of Feb- 
ruary 2d, which came most opportinu'ly, as it showed 

the impossibility of my relying further on in 

literary matters, and I was on the point of com- 
mencing further operations with him. He is a 
worthy, honest fellow, but apt to entangle himself. 
Were I a rich man I would give him my writings for 
nothing ; as I am a very poor one I must take care 
of myself 

I have just sent to my brother Ebenezer MS. for 
the first number of a work which, if successful, I 
hope to continue occasionally. I had wished him to 

send it to for publication, but I now must have 

it published by some one else. Will you, as you 
are a literary man and a man of leisure, take it 
under your care. I wish the copyright secured for 
me, and the work printed and then sold to one or 
more booksellers, who will take the whole impression 
at a fair discount, and give cash or good notes for 
it. This makes short work of it, and is more profit- 
able to the author than selling the copyright. I 
should like Thomas to have the first offer, as he has 
been and is a true friend to me, and I wish him 
to have any advantage that may arise from the pub- 
lication of it. 

If the work is printed in New York, will you 
correct the proof-sheets, as I fear the MS. will be 
obscure, and you are well acquainted with my hand- 
writing. 

I feel great diffidence about this reappearance in 
literature. I am conscious of my imperfections, and 
my mind has been for a long time past so preyed 
upon and agitated by various cares and anxieties 
that I fear it has lost much of its cheerfulness and 
some of its activity. 



314 LIFE AND LETTERS 

I have attempted no lofty theme, nor sought to 
look wise and learned, which appears to be very 
much the fashion amonc; our American writers, at 
present. I have preferred addressing myself to the 
feeling and fancy of the reader more than to his 
judgment. My writings, therefore, may appear light 
and trifling in our country of philosophers and politi- 
cians ; but if they possess merit in the class of lit- 
erature to which they belong, it is all to which I 
aspire in the work. I seek only to blow a flute ac- 
companiment in the national concert, and leave 
others to play the fiddle and French horn. 

I shall endeavor to follow this first number by a 
second, as soon as possible ; but some time may 
intervene, for my writing moods are very preca' 

rious 

God bless you, my dear Brevoort, 

Your friend, 

W. I. 

In a postscript to this letter, he adds : — 

Do not press poor about the draft, if still 

unpaid — let him have time. I fear I shall be 
Badly disappointed in the receipt of funds from the 
new edition of the " History of New York." I had 
depended upon it for current expenses, but must 
now look forward to the future exertions of my 
pen. 

The first number of the " Sketch Book of 
Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.," the title chosen for the 
series, was printed, as vrere the others, in New 
York, by C. S. Van Winkle, and consisted of the 
Prospectus, the author's account of himself, " The 
Voyage," " Roscoe," '^ The W%;' and " Rip Van 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 315 

Winkle ; " making ninety-three pages of octavo, 
of large type and copious margin. 

The first edition consisted of 2.000 copies 
The number was got up in beautiful style for 
that day, and the price was made to conform to 
it, being 75 cents. In the Prospectus, not to be 
found in the late editions of the work, he thus 
introduces himself anew to the public : — 

The following writings are published on experi- 
ment ; should they please they may be followed by 
others. The writer will have to contend with some 
disadvantages. He is unsettled in his abode, sub- 
ject to interruptions, and has his share of cares and 
vicissitudes. He cannot, therefore, promise a regu- 
lar plan, nor regular periods of publication. Should 
he be encouraged to proceed, much tirae may elapse 
between the appearance of his numbers ; and their 
size will depend on the materials he may have on 
hand. His writings will partake of the fluctuations 
of his own thoughts and feelings — sometimes treating 
of scenes before him, sometimes of others purely im- 
aginary, and sometimes wandering back with his rec- 
ollections to his native country. He will not be 
able to give them that tranquil attention necessary 
to finished composition ; and as they must be trans- 
mitted across the Atlantic for publication, he will 
have to trust to others to correct the fi-equent errors 
of the press. Should his writings, however, with all 
Oheir imperfections, be well received, he cannot con- 
ceal that it would be a source of the purest gratifica- 
tion ; for though he does not aspire to those high 
honors which are the rewards of loftier intellects, 
yet it is the dearest wish of his heart to have a se- 
cure and cherished, though humble corner in the 
good opinions and kind feelings of his countrymen. 



316 LIFE AND LETTERS 

This number was published simultaneously in 
New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Baltimore ; 
it was deposited for copyright on the 15th of 
May, 1819, and its appearance took place shortl}' 
after. It was soon evident, from the sensation it 
produced, how warmly the public were disposed 
to welcome an old acquaintance. 

When the first number of this beautiful work was 
announced (says a contemporaneous notice), it was 
sufficient to induce an immediate and importunate 
demand, that the name of Mr. Irving was attached 
to it in the popular mind. With his name so much 
of the honor of our national literature is associated, 
that our pride as well as our better feelings is inter- 
ested in accumulating the gifts of his genius. We 
had begun to reproach him with something like par- 
simony ; to tell him that he was in debt to us ; that 
the wealth and magnitude of his endowments were 
the patrimony of his country — a part of our in- 
heritance. 

Of the different* papers of this number, " Rip 
Van Winkle " was the favorite ; and the popu- 
larity which it seized at the outset it has ever 
retained. " His stories of ' Rip Van Winkle,* 
and ' Sleepy Hollow ' " (says Chambers' " Cyclo- 
paedia of English Literature," more than twenty 
years after the appearance of the " Sketch Book " 
in Great Britain), '' are perhaps the finest pieces 
of original fictitious writing that this century has 
produced next to the works of Scott." 

It was just as he had finished the story of 
" Rip Van Winkle," as he has before told us, 
that he received a copy of the discourse of Ver- 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 317 

planck before the New York Historical Society, 
in which he administers his reproof of the Knick- 
erbocker travestie. As this story purported to 
be a posthumous production of Diedrich, he took 
occasion in the introduction to allude to the mis- 
deeds of the departed sage. 

The old gentleman (he remarks) was apt to ride 
his hobby his own way ; and though it did now and 
then kick up the dust a little in the eyes of his 
neighbors, and grieve the spirit of some friends for 
whom he felt the truest deference and affection, yet 
his errors and follies are remembered " more in sor- 
row than in anger," and it begins to be suspected 
that he never intended to injure or offend. 

The " Analectic Magazine " for July of this 
year, had a notice of the first number of the 
" Sketch Book," from the classic pen of Ver- 
planck, which, under the circumstances, has a 
peculiar interest. I quote the kindly open- 
ing : — 

We believe that the public law of literature has 
entirely exempted periodical publications from the 
jurisdiction of the ordinary critical tribunals : and 
we therefore notice the first number of this work 
without any intention of formal criticism, but simply 
for the purpose of announcing its appearance, and 
of congratulating the American public that one of 
their choicest favorites has, after a long interval, 
again resumed the pen. It will be needless to in- 
form any who have read the book, that it is from the 
pen of Mr. Irving. His rich, and sometimes extrav- 
vagant humor, his gay and graceful fancy, his pecul- 
iar choice and felicity of original expression, as well 



318 LIFE AND LETTERS 

as the pure and fine moral feeling which impercepti- 
bly pervades every thought and image, without being 
anywhere ostentatious or dogmatic, betray the author 
in every page ; even without the aid of those minor 
peculiarities of style, taste, and local allusions, which 
at once identify the travelled Geoffrey Crayon with 
the venerable Knickerbocker. 

On the 1st of April, 1819, the author writes 
to Brevoort : — 

I send a second number of the " Sketch Book." It 
is not so large as the first, but I have not been able 
to get more matter ready for publication ; and, in- 
deed, I am not particular about the work being regu- 
lar in any way. The price of this number, of course, 
must be less than the first 

I hope you have been able to make arrangements 
with Thomas for the publication of my writings. I 
should greatly prefer its being published by him. 

The number here transmitted across the At- 
lantic consisted of four articles ; " English Writers 
on America ; " " Rural Life in England ; " " The 
Broken Heart;" and the " Art of Book-making." 
The size was not so large as the first, but the 
same price was put upon it, though he had inti- 
mated in his letters it must be less. 

A notice of this number at that day remarks : 
*' When we read the description of English 
scenery, we are apt to think the descriptive is 
Mr. Irving's forte, but the ' Broken Heart ' con- 
vinces us that his prevailing power is in natural 
and sweet pathos." 

This story was undoubtedly the general favor- 
ite. The particulars had been given to Mr. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 3l9 

Trviiis: by a young Liverpool fi-lend, Mr. Andrew 
Hamilton, long since dead, who had himself seen 
the heroine, the daughter of Cunan, the celebra- 
ted Irish barrister, " at a masquerade " — the 
scene in which she is introduced by the author. 

But though this story won the palm of popu- 
larity, there were not wanting many with whom 
the tirst was most commended, while the essay 
on " Rural Life in England " was considered by 
others as exhibiting most of the peculiar talents 
of the author. In this light it seems to have 
struck one of the most eminent names in Ameri- 
can literature, Richard H. Dana, who, in his 
notice of the first two numbers of the " Sketch 
Book " in the " North American Review," after 
some rather critical animadversions on the " Bro- 
ken Heart," thus speaks of this essay : — 

We come from reading " Rural Life in England " 
as much restored and as cheerful as if we had been 
passing an hour or two in the very fields and woods 
themselves. Mr. Irving's scenery is so true, so full 
of little beautiful particulars, so varied yet so con- 
nected in character, that the distant is brought nigh 
to us, and the whole is seen and felt like a delightful 
reality. It is all gentleness and sunshine ; the bright 
influences of nature fall on us, and our disturbed and 
lowering spirits are made clear and tranquil — 
turned all to beauty like clouds shone on by the 
moon. 

This beautiful tribute exhibits the mellow 
charm of that essay upon an American mind. 
I follow it with an extract from a letter of the 
distinguished author of " Caleb Williams," in which 



320 LIFE AND LETTERS 

we have his verdict on a copy of the second num- 
ber, which had been transmitted to London from 
New York, and in which he singles out the essay 
on " Rural Life in England" for special commen- 
dation. This letter from such a source and so 
long in advance of the London publication of the 
" Sketch Book," has a marked literary interest. 
I found it among Mr. Living's papers, to whom it 
had been given by his friend Ogilvie, who had 
two years before predicted his successful return 
to the literary arena. 

\_To James Ogilvie.'] 

Skinner Street, September 15, 1819. 
Dear Sir : — 

You desire me to write to you my sentiments on 
reading the " Sketch Book," No. II., and I most wil- 
lingly comply with your request. 

Everywhere I find in it the marks of a mind of 
the utmost elegance and refinement, a thing as you 
know that I was not exactly prepared to look for in 

an American Each of the essays is 

entitled to its appropriate praise, and the whole is 
such as I scarcely know an Englishman that could 
have written. The author powerfully conciliates to 
himself our kindness and affection. But the essay 
on " Rural Life in England " is incomparably the 
oest. It is, I believe, all true ; and one wonders, 
while reading, that nobody ever said this before. 

There is wonderful sweetness in It 

Very truly yours, 

W. Godwin. 

I have anticipated a little in giving this letter. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 321 

On the 13th of May, four months before its date, 
Mr. Irving writes to Brevoort : — 

By the ship which brings this, I forward a third 
number of the " Sketch Book ; " and if you have in- 
terested yourself in the fate of the preceding, I will 
thank you to extend your kindness to this also. I am 
extremely anxious to hear from you what you think 
of the first number, and am looking anxiously for 
the arrival of the next ship froai New York. My 
fate hangs on it, for I am now at the end of my 
fortune. 

It was not, however, until July that his sus- 
pense was relieved, and he received the letter 
which gave Brevoort's opinion. It was still later 
before he heard of the encouraging reception of 
his work and the run it was having. It would 
seem from an intimation in a letter of Ogilvie, 
that the author was painfully depressed during 
this interval, '' I am impatient," writes that gen- 
tleman, " for the arrival of the first number of 
your ' Sketch r»ook,' because I feel assured that 
nothing else is wanting to restore the equipoise 
of your mind, the steadiness of your intellectual 
exertions, and to prevent those occasional fits of 
depression which I can never witness or even 
think of, without feelings of sincere and even 
painful sympathy." 

The followinoj letters to Brevoort also sive 
glimpses of this state of feeling : — 

London, July 10, 1819. 
My dear Brevoort: — 

I received a few days since your letter of the 9th 
June, and a day or two afterwards yours of 2d and 

VOL. I. 21 



322 LIFE AND LETTERS 

8th May, wlii(3h had been detained in Livtrpool. 
This last gave me your opinion of my first number, 
I had felt extremely anxious to ascertain it, and your 
apparent silence had discouraged me. 

I am not sorry for the delay that has taken place 
in the publication, as it will give me more time to 
prepare my next number. Various circumstances 
have concurred to render me very nervous and sub- 
ject to fits of depression, that incapacitate me for 
literary exertion. All that I do at present is in 
transient gleams of sunshine which are soon over 
clouded, and I have to struggle against continual 
damps and chills. I hold on patiently to my purpose, 
however, in hopes of more genial weather hereafter, 
when I will be able to exert myself more efiectively. 

It is a long time since I have heard from my 
brother William, and I am apt to attribute his silence 
to dissatisfaction at my not accepting the situation 
at Washington ; a circumstance which I apprehend 
has disappointed others of my friends. In these 
matters, however, just weight should be given to a 
man's tastes and inclinations. The value of a situa- 
tion is only as it contributes to a man's happiness, 
and I should have been perfectly out of my element 
and uncomfortable in Washington. The place could 
merely have supported me, and instead of rising, as 
my friends appeared to anticipate, I should have 
sunk even in my own opinion. My mode of life has 
unfortunately been such as to render me unfit for 
almost any useful purpose. I have not the kind of 
knowledge or the habits that are necessary for busi- 
ness or regular official duty. My acquirements, 
tastes, and habits are just such as to adapt me for 
the kind of literary exertions I contemplate. It is 
only in this way I have any chance of acquiring real 
reputation, and I am desirous of giving it a fair 
trial. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING, 323 

I feel perfectly satisfied with your arrangements 
respecting the work, and more than ever indebted to 
you for these ofhces of friendship. I have delayed 
drawing on you until I should hear further about the 
work, but shall have to do so soon 

Give my sincere regards to Mrs. Brevoort, and 
speak a good word for me now and then to your lit- 
tle boy, whom I hope some day or other to have for 
a playmate. 

Remember me to the rest of your domestic circle, 
and believe me as ever, 

Affectionately yours, 

W. I. 

[To Henry Brevoort, Esq.'] 

London, July 28, 1819. 
My dear Brevoort: — 

As usual, I have but a few moments left to scribble 
a line before this opportunity departs by which I 
write. I have seen a copy of the first number of the 
" Sketch Book," which was sent out to a gentleman 
of ray acquaintance. I cannot but express how much 
more than ever I feel myself indebted to you for the 
manner in which you have attended to my concerns. 
The work is got up in a beautiful style. I should 
scarcely have ventured to have made so elegant an 
entree had it been left to myself, for I had lost con- 
fidence in my writings. I have not discovered an 
error in the printing, and indeed have felt delighted 
at my genteel appearance in print. I would observe 
that the work appears to be a little too highly pointed. 
[ don't know whether my manuscript was so, or 
whether it is the scrupulous precision of the printer. 
High pointing is apt to injure the fluency of the style 
if the reader attends to all the stops. 

I am quite pleased that the work has experienced 



324 LIFE AND LETTERS 

delay, as It gives me time to get up materials to keep 
the series going. I have been rather aflat for a 
considerable time past, and able to do nothing with 
my pen. I was fearful of a great hiatus in the early 
part of my work, which would have been a disadvan- 
tage. My spirits have revived recently, and I trust, 
if I receive favorable accounts of the work's taking 
in America, that I shall be able to go on with more 
animation. 

I had intended to dispatch a number by this ship. 
It is all written out and stitched up, but as I find you 
will not stand in immediate need of it, I will keep it 
by me for a few days, as there is some trivial finishing 
necessary. You may calculate upon receiving it, 
however, by one of the first ships that sails after this. 

I do not wish any given time to elapse between the 
numbers, but that they should appear irregularly ; 
indeed, the precariousness and inequality of my own 
fits of composition will prevent that 

I look anxiously for your letter by the packet, 
which must come to hand in a few days ; and trust at 
the same time to hear something of the reception of 
my work : until then I shall continue a little ner- 
vous 

Most afiectionately yours, 

W.I. 

The following is Brevoort's reply to the two 
foregoing letters : — 

Bloomingdale, September 9, 1819. 
My dear Irving : — 

Just as I was preparing to answer your letter of 
the 10th July, I had the pleasure to receive by the 
Amity your letter of the 28th July. 

I hope we shall soon receive the 4th number, 
which you state was nearly completed. The 3d 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 825 

number will be published on Monday, the 131h. We 
were retarded a few days by not getting the paper 
from Mr. Thomas. The orders for Boston, Philadel- 
phia,- and Baltimore were forwarded this day, in 
order that the publication may be contemporaneous 
— a point very much insisted on by the craft. The 
edition of the first number has all been sold ; of the 
2d number only 150 copies remain unsold. The 
demand rises in every quarter. 

Your corrections shall be carefully Inserted, and 
the punctuation somewhat diminished. It was not 
owing to your MS., but to the scrupulousness of Van 
Winkle. The 2d edition of No. 1 will be sent to 
press in a few days. The 2d edition of No. 2 will 

also follow that of No. 1, as soon as possible 

It is a point universally agreed upon that your work is 
an honor to Ajnerican literature, as well as an exam- 
ple to those who aspire to a correct and elegant 
style of composition. 

By the James Monroe I have forwarded to Rich- 
ards five copies of No. 3 

I think you are mistaken in supposing your 
brother William dissatisfied respecting the Washing- 
ton affair. I had a long talk with him a day or 
two since, in the course of which he adverted to that 
business, and seemed rather to have yielded to the 
justness of your objections. He expressed great re- 
morse at his long silence to you, and resolved to take 
pen in hand and write you a long epistle, by way 
of atonement. He retains his old habit of burden- 
ing himself with a world of unnecessary cares and 
rexations. In walking the street he seems literally 
bent downward with at least a dozen gratuitous 
years ; yet his heart is as mellow and his sensibilitJ^a 
iuet as acute as ever. 



326 LIFE AND LETTERS 

The third number, which was published on the 
13th of September, consisted of four articles : 
"A Royal Poet ; " '' The Country Church ; " ^' The 
Widow and her Son," and " The Boar's Head Tav- 
ern, Eastcheap — a Shakespearian Research." 
The fourth number, which Brevoort was expect- 
ing at the date of his letter, was forwarded on 
the 2d August, as will be seen by the following 
epistle : — 

[T'o Henry Brevoort^ Esq."] 

LoNDOK, August 2, 1819. 
My dear Brevoort : — 

I forward " Sketch Book," No. 4, to my brother 

E. Irving I send the present number with 

reluctance, for it has grown exceeding stale with me ; 
part of it laid by me during a time that I was out of 
spirits and could not complete it. 

So much time has elapsed, however, that I dare 
not delay any longer. I shall endeavor to get up 
another number immediately, having part of the 
materials prepared. Should you, at any time think 
any article so indiiferent as to be hkely to affect the 
reputation of the work, you may use your discretion 
in omitting it, and delaying the number until the 
arrival of my next number, out of which you can 
take an article to supply the deficiency. 

I write in great haste, and am as ever. 

Affectionately yours, 

W.I. 

The number here transmitted consisted of 
three articles : " The Mutability of Literature ; '* 
" The Spectre Bridegroom," and " John Bull ; " but 
this last was afterwards reserved for the sixth, 



OF WASHINGTON IRVINC 327 

Mid the essay on " Rural Funerals " was substi- 
tuted for it. 

[To Henry Brevoorty Esq.] 

London, August 12, 1819. 
My dear Brevoort : — , . , , 

I have received vour letter of July 9th, which has 
given me infinite gratification ; but I have not time 
to reply to it as I could wish. I wrote to you lately, 
expressing how much I was delighted by the manner 
in which you got up my work ; the favorable recep- 
tion it has met with is extremely encouraging, and 
repays me for much doubt and anxiety. 

I am glad to hear from you and my brother Eben- 
ezer, that you think my second number better than 
the first. The manner in which you have spoken of 
several of the articles is also very serviceable ; it 
lets me know where I make a right hit, and will 
serve to govern future exertions. 

I regret that you did not send me at least half a 
dozen copies of the work ; I am sadly tantalized, 
having but barely the single copy. I have not made 
■ any determination about republishing in this coun- 
try, and shall ask advice, if I can meet with any 
one here who can give it me : but my Uterary ac- 
quaintance is very limited at present. I wish you 
would inquire, and let me know how the "History 
of New York " sells, as Thomas is rather negligent 
in giving me information about it. Let him have 
his own time in settling for it. 

You observe that the public complain of the 
orice of my work ; this is the disadvantage of com- 
.ng in competition with republished English works, 
for which the booksellers have not to pay anythmg 
to the authors. If the American public wish to 



S28 LIFE AND LETTERS 

have a literature of tlieir own, they must consent to 
pay for the support of authors. A work of the 
same size, and got up in the same way as my first 
number, would sell for more in England, and the 
cost of printing, etc., would be less 

I drew on you lately, in favor of Mr. Samuel 
Williams, at thirty days' sight, for $1,000. General 
Boyd bought the draft, and I have the money 

I feel very much obliged by Verplanck's notice of 
my work in the " Analectic ; " and very much encour- 
aged to find it meets with his approbation. I know 
no one's taste to whom I would more thoroughly 
defer. 

You suppose me to be on the continent, but I 
shall not go for some time yet ; and you may pre- 
sume on letters, etc., finding me in England 

Four days after the date of this letter, in which 
he had forwarded a correction for " John Bull," he 
sends his essay on " Rural Funerals," to be sub- 
stituted for that article ; a rapid effusion, to which 
he had been stimulated by Brevoort and Eben- 
ezer's letters, communicating the favorable recep- 
tion of his first number, their opinion of the 
superiority of the second, and the popularity of 
'the pathetic element in his compositions. 

[To Brevoort."] 

London, August 16, 1819. 
Dear Brevoort : — 

In great haste I inclose you an essay, which I 
have just scribbled, and which I wish inserted in 
the fourth number in place of one of the articles, as 
I am afraid the number has too great a predomi- 
nance of the himiorous. You may insert it in place 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 329 

of *' John Bull," and keep that article for the fifth 
number. I have not had time to give this article a 
proper finishing, and wish you to look sharp that 
there are not blunders and tautologies in it. It has 
been scribbled off hastily, and part of It actually in 
a church-yard in a recent ramble into the country. 

The unnamed essay here sent, was " Rural 
Funerals." He had forwarded a correction for 
'* John Bull " on the 12th of August, and on the 
16th he is putting that aside for this, which must 
have been prepared in the interim. Part of it, 
the letter informs us, was written in a church- 
yard, on a ramble into the country ; and part, I 
have heard from his own lips, was written at 
Miller's, where he stopped in at early dawn, fe- 
verish and excited, after having been all night at 
a dance, and borrowed pen and paper to jot down 
his " thick coming fancies," some of which no 
doubt were brought from memories of the past. 

In your sketch of " Rural Funerals " (writes Mrs. 
Hoffman to him), I recognized a scene which you 
have related in a very touching manner. It sur- 
prises me to see that your memory is as tenacious 
as mine — some things are so deeply fixed there, 
which passed without striking others nearly inter- 
ested. I should think your mind would be relieved 
by writing off these melancholy feelings. 

About three weeks after he had dispatched 
.his essay, he receives two parcels from America, 
containing copies of the first and second numbers 
of the " Sketch Boi)k," and a letter from Bre- 
voort, inclosing commeudator}' notices of the 



330 LIFE AND LETTERS 

press. I give his touching and characteristic 
reply : — 

London, September 9, 1819. 

My Dear Brevoort: — 

I have received this morning a parcel from Liv- 
erpool, containing two parcels from you — one of 
four of the first number, and the other, five of the 
second number of the " Sketch Book," with your 
letter per courier. The second number is got up 
still more beautifully than the first. I cannot ex- 
press to you how much I am delighted with the 
very tasteful manner in which it is executed. You 
may tell Mr. Van Winkle that it does him great 
credit, and has been much admired here as a speci- 
men of American typography ; and among the ad- 
mirers is Murray, the " prince of booksellers," so 
famous for his elegant publications. Indeed, the 
manner in which you have managed the whole mat- 
ter gives me infinite gratification. You have put 
my writings into circulation, and arranged the pe- 
cuniary concerns in such a way as to save future 
trouble and petty chaflTerings about accounts, and to 
give the whole an independent and gentlemanlike 
air. I would rather sacrifice fifty per cent, than 
have to keep accounts, and dun booksellers for pay- 
ment. 

The manner in which the work has been received, 
and the eulogiums that have been passed upon it in 
the American papers and periodical works, have 
completely overwhelmed me. They go far, far be- 
yond my most sanguine expectations ; and, indeed, 
are expressed with such peculiar warmth and kind- 
ness, as to affect me in the tenderest manner. The 
receipt of your letter, and the reading of some of 
those criticisms this morning, have rendered me 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 331 

nervous for tlie whole day. I feel almost appalled 
by such success, and fearful that it cannot be real, 
or that it is not fully merited, or that I shall not act 
up to the expectations that may be formed. We 
are whimsically constituted beings. I had got out 
of conceit of all that I had written, and considered 
it very questionable stuff; and now that it is so ex- 
travagantly be-praised, I begin to feel afraid that I 
shall not do as well again. However, we shall see 
as we get on. As yet I am extremely irregular and 
precarious in my fits of composition. The least 
thing puts me out of the vein, and even applause 
flurries me, and prevents my writing ; though, of 
course, it will ultimately be a stimulus. 

I hope you will not attribute all this sensibility to 
the kind reception I have met with to an author's 
vanity. I am sure it proceeds from very different 
sources. Vanity could not bring the tears into my 
eyes, as they have been brought by the kindness of 
ray countrymen. I have felt cast down, blighted, 
and broken-spirited, and these sudden rays of sun- 
shine agitate even more than they revive me. 

I hope — I hope I may yet do something more 
worthy of the approbation lavished on me 

Give my best regards to your wife, and remember 
me heartily to the little circle of our peculiar inti- 
macy. 

I am, my dear Breevoort, 

Yours affectionately, 

W. I. 

It was probably under the influence of this 
encouraging news tliat he wrote, four days after, 
the following familiar and playful letter to Leslie, 
then on a vi.-it to some Quaker friends in Wales. 
They bad been living near together and meeting 



332 LIFE AND LETTERS 

almost every clay ; and this letter is pleasantly 
indicative of the perfect cordiality and freedom 
thai existed between them. Newton cuts quite a 
figure in it. The others who are mentioned, be- 
longed to aii American circle in London, in which 
Irving, Leslie, and Newton seem to have mingled 
ill easy familiarity. 

London, September 13, 1810. 

You Leslie ! — What is the reason you haf e not 
let us hear from you since you set out on your 
travels ? We have been in great anxiety lest you 
should have started from London on some other 
route of that six-inch square map of the world which 
you consulted, and through the mistake of a hair's 
breadth may have wandered, the Lord knows where. 

Here have been sad evolutions and revolutions 
since you left us. Newton had his three shirts and 
six collars packed up in half of a saddle-bag for 
several days, with the intention of accompanying 
Lyman, Everett, and Charles Williams to Liverpool, 
and returning with the latter through Wales, in 
which case they intended beating up your quarters, 
and endeavoring to surprise you with your mahl 
stick turned into a shepherd's crook, sighing at the 
feet of Miss Maine. Newton did nothing, for two 
or three days, but scamper up and down between 
Finsbury Square and Sloane Street, like a cat in a 
panic, taking leave of everybody in the morning, and 
calling upon them again in the evening, when to his 
astonishment he found Charles Williams had the 
private intention of embarking for America. Charles 
has actually sailed, and Newton, instead of his 
Welsh tour, accompanied me on a tour to Deptford 
and Eltham. He has now resumed his station at 
the head of Sloane Street. Jones has taken posses- 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 333 

Bion of the bottom, and between them both I expect 
they will tie the two ends of the street into a true 
lovers knot. For my part I have been almost good 
for nothing since your departure, and would not pass 
another summer in London if they would make me 
Lord Mayor. 

I have received the second number of the 
" Sketch Book," and shall be quite satisfied if I de- 
serve half the praise they give me in the American 
journals ; but they always overdo these matters in 
America. I am glad to find the second number 
pleases more than the first. The sale is very rapid, 
and, altogether, the success exceeds my most san- 
guine expectation. Xow you suppose 1 am all on 
the alert, and full of spirit and excitement. No 
such thing. I am just as good for nothing as ever 
I was ; and, indeed, have been flurried and put out 
of my way by these puffings. I feel something as I 
suppose you did when your picture met with success 
— anxious to do something better, and at a loss 
what to do. 

But enough of egotism. Let me know how you 
find yourself; how you like Wales ; what you are 
doing ; and especially, when you intend to return. 
I hope you will not remain away much longer. 
Newton's manikin has at length arrived, and he is 
to have it home in a few days, when it is to be hoped 
he will give up rambling abroad, and stay at home, 
drink tea, and play the flute to the lady. William 
Macdougall means to give her a tea-party, and it is 
expected she will be introduced into company with 
as much eclat as Peregrine Pickle's protegee. I 
Lave now foirly filled my sheet with nonsense, and 
craving a speedy reply. I am yours, 

W. L 



S34 LIFE AND LETTERS 

It must have been about the date of this let- 
ter that Mr. Irving's sympathizing friend, Ogilvie, 
left with Godwin for his critical opinion one of 
the copies of No. II. of the " Sketch Book," 
which, as we have seen, the author had received 
a few days before from New York. 1 have al- 
ready given Godwin's letter, which may be taken 
as the first sound of that cheering voice which 
was soon to greet him from the English public. 

Ten days after Godwin had written his critical 
approbation of No. II., the " London Liteiliry 
Gazette," a weekly periodical, commenced a re- 
publication of the sketches from No. I., which 
was continued through two successive issues. A 
copy of the third number also reached England, 
and it was said that a London bookseller was 
about to have these separate portions printed in 
a collective form. It had not been the inten- 
tion of the author to publish them in England, 
conscious that much of their contents could be 
interesting only to American readers, and having 
a distrust of their being able to stand the severity 
of British criticism ; but he now determined to 
revise and bring them forward himself, that they 
might at least come correctly before the pub- 
lic. The rest shaU be told in his own words, as 
given in his preface to the revised edition of the 
-Sketch Book" of 1848: — 

I accordingly took the printed numbers which I 
had received from the United States, to Mr. John 
Murray, the eminent publisher, from whom I had al- 
ready received friendly attentions, and left them 
with him for examination, informing him that should 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 335 

he be inclined to bring them before the public, 1 
had materials enough on hand for a second volume. 
Several days having elapsed without any communi- 
cation from Mr. Murray, I addressed a note to him, 
in which I construed his silence into a tacit rejection 
of my work, and begged that the numbers I had 
left with him might be returned to me. The follow- 
ing was his reply : — 

My dear Sir : — 

I entreat you to believe that I feel truly obliged 
by your kind intentions towards me, and that I 
entertain the most unfeigned respect for your most 
tasteful talents. My house is completely filled with 
work-people at this time, and I have only an office 
to transact business in ; and yesterday I was wholly 
occupied, or I should have done myself the pleasure 
of seeing you. 

If it would not suit me to engage in the publica 
tion of your present work, it is only because I do 
not see that scope in the nature of it which would 
enable me to make those satisfactory a(;counts be- 
tween us, without which I really feel no satisfaction 
in engaging ; but I will do all that I can to promote 
their circulation, and shall be most ready to attend 
to any future plan of yours. With much regard, I 
remain, dear sir. 

Your faithful servant, 

John Murray. 

The letter here given is now before me ; it is 
without date by Murray, but is marked in the 
author's handwriting, October 27, 1819. It 
bears also this later indorsement by him, made 
probably in 1848 at the time he transcribed it 
for the preface to his revised edition of the 



336 LIFE AND LETTERS 

" Sketch Book," — " Letter from Murray de- 
clining the publication of the ' Sketch Book,* 
after I had sent him the first three or four num- 
bers of the American edition in print, comprising 
the first volume." It is manifest from this in- 
dorsement that the author was a little at fault 
as to the precise contents submitted to Murray's 
inspection, and if none but printed numbers of 
the American edition were handed to the great 
bibliopolist, the fourth number could not have 
been included, for that was not published in 
America until November 10, a fortnight after his 
declension, and did not, in fact, reach England 
u.ntil the beginning of January, more than two 
months later. It is not a point, however, upon 
which I lay any stress. 

Mr. Irving intimates in his preface, that after 
this he might have been deterred from any fur- 
ther prosecution of the matter, had the question 
of republication in Great Britain rested entirely 
with him : but he apprehended the appearance 
of a spurious edition. I find no trace in his let- 
ters of discouragement under the disheartening 
decision, for only four days later he writes to his 
brother Ebenezer : " I intend republishing in this 
country, the work having been favorably received 
by such as have seen it here, and extracts having 
been made from it with encomiums in some of 
the periodical works." And now, recalling the 
cordial reception he had experienced from Scott 
at Abbatsford, the impression made upon him by 
his manners and conversation, and the favorable 
opinion he had ex|)ressed of his Knickerbocker, 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 337 

be turned to him in bis perplexity, and sent him 
the printed numbers of the " Sketch Book," with 
a letter in which he observed that since he had 
the pleasure of partaking of his hospitality, a 
reverse had taken place in his affairs which made 
the exercise of his pen important to him. He 
begged him, therefore, to look over the literary 
articles he had forwarded to him, and if he 
thought they would bear European publication, 
to ascertain whether Mr. Constable would be in- 
clined to be the publisher. 

*' The parcel containing ^my work," says the 
preface, " went by coach to Scott's address in 
Edinburgh ; the letter went by mail to his resi- 
dence in the country. By the very first post I 
received a reply." 

This reply, of which the preface contains some 
extracts, I transcribe in full : — 

November 17, 1819. 
My dear Sir : — 

I was down at Kelso when your letter reached 
Abbotsford. I am now on my way to town, and 
will converse with Constable and do all in my power 
to forward your views ; I assure you nothing will 
give me more pleasure. 

I am now to mention a subject in which I take a 
most sincere interest. You have not only the tal- 
ents necessary for making a figure in literature, but 
also the power of applying them readily and easily, 
and want nothing but a sphere of action in wliich to 
exercise them. Let me put the question to you 
without hesitation : Would you have any objection 
to superintend an Anti-Jacobin peiiodical publica- 
tion which will appear weekly in Edinburgh, sup- 

voi,. I. -11 



o38 LIFE AND LETTERS 

ported by the most respectable talent, and amply 
lurnished with all the necessary information ? The 
appointment of the editor (for which ample funds 
are provided) will be £500 a year certain, with the 
reasonable prospect of further advantages. I fore- 
see this may be involving you in a warfare you care 
not to meddle with, or that your view of politics may 
not suit the tone it is desired to adopt ; yet I risk 
the question because I know no man so well qualified 
for this important task, and perhaps because it will 
necessarily bring you to Edinburgh. If my proposal 
does not suit, you need only keep the matter secret 
and there is no harm done ; " and for my love I pray 
you wrong me not." If, on the contrary, you think 
it could be made to suit you, let me know as soon as 
possible, addressing Castle St., Edinburgh. 

I have not yet got your parcel. I fancy I shall 
iind it in Edinburgh. I wish I were as sure of seeing 
you there with the resolution of taking a lift of this 
same journal. One thing I may hint, that some of 
your coadjutors b(-ing young though clever men, may 
need a bridle rather than a spur, and in this I have 
the greatest reliance on your prudence. I myself 
have no more interest in the matter than I have in 
the " Quarterly Review," wluch I aided in setting 
afloat. 

Excuse this confidential scrawl, which Avas written 
in great haste when I understood the appointment 
was still open, and believe me, 

Most truly yours, 

Walter Scott. 

This is dated Abbotsford, Monday. In a post- 
script dated Edinburgh, Tuesday, he adds : — 

I am jus come here and have glanced over the 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 339 

" Sketch Book ; " it is positively beautiful, and in- 
creases my desire to crimp you if it be possible. 
Some difficulties there always are in managing such 
a matter, especially at the outset. But we will ob- 
viate them as much as we possibly can. 

I find among the author's papers the " imper- 
perfect draft" of his reply, to which he al- 
ludes in the preface as having undergone some 
niodifications in the copy sent; and as I have 
given the whole of Scott's letter, I copy this too 
in full. 

My dear Sir : — 

I cannot express how much I am gratified by your 
letter. I had begun to feel as if I had taken an 
unwarrantable liberty, but somehow or other there 
is a genial sunshine about you that warms every 
creeping thing into heart and confidence. Your 
literary proposal both surprises and flatters me, as it 
evinces a much higher opinion of my talents than I 
have myself. I am peculiarly unfitted for the post 
proposed. I have no strong political prejudices, for 
though born and brought up a republican, and con- 
vinced that it is the best form of government for my 
own country, yet I feel my poetical associations 
vividly aroused by the old institutions of this coun- 
try, and should feel as sorry to see them injured or 
bubverted as I would to see Windsor Castle or West- 
minster Abbey demolished to make way for brick 
tenements. 

But I have a general dislike to politics. I have 
always shunned them in my own country, and have 
'ately declined a lucrative post under my own govern- 
ment, and one that opened the door to promotion, 
merely because I was avert-c to j)()litical lile, and to 



S40 LIFE AND LETTERS 

being subjected to regular application anj local con- 
finement. 

My whole course of life has been desultory, and 
I am unfitted for any periodically recurring task, or 
any stipulated labor of body or mind. I have no 
command of my talents such as they are, and have 
to watch the varyings of my mind as I would a 
weathercock. Practice and training may bring me 
more into rule ; but at present I am as useless for 
regular service as one of my own country Indians 
or a Don Cossack. 

I must, therefore, keep on pretty much as I have 
begun — writing when I can, not when I would. I 
shall occasionally shift my residence, and write what- 
ever is suggested by objects before me, or whatever 
runs in my imagination ; and hope to write better 
and more copiously by and by. 

I am playing the egotist, but I know no better 
way of answering your proposal but by showing 
what a very good-for-nothing kind of being I am. 
Should Mr. Constable feel inclined to make a bar- 
gain for the wares I at present have on hand, he 
will encourage me to further enterprise ; and it will 
be something like bargaining with a gypsy, who may 
one time have but a wooden bowl to sell, and at an- 
other a silver tankard. 

The following is Scott's considerate reply, in 
which he enters into a detail of the vai'ious terms 
upon which books w^ere published, that his cor- 
respondent might take his choice of thera : — 

Edinburgh, December 4, 1819. 
My dear Sir : — 

I am sorry but not surprised that you do not find 
fourself inch lied to engage in the troublesome duty 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 341 

In wliicli I would have been well contented to eno-ao-e 
you. I have very little doubt that Constable would 
most willingly be your publisher, and I think I could 
show him how his interest is most strongly concerned 
in it. But I do not exactly feel empowered to state 
anything to him on the subject except very gene- 
rally. There are, you know, various modes of settling 
with a publisher. Sometimes he gives a sum of 
money for the copyright. But more frequently he 
relieves the author of all expense, and divides what 
he calls the free profit on the editions as they arise. 
There is somethlno- fair in this, and advantageous 
for both parties ; for the author receives a share of 
profit exactly in proportion to the popularity of his 
work, and the bookseller is relieved of the risk which 
always attends a purchase of copyright, and has 
more rapid returns of his capital. In general, how- 
erer, he contrives to take the lion's share of the 
booty ; for, first, he is always desirous to delay settle- 
ment till the edition sells otf, and if disposed to be 
unfair (which I never found Constable) he can con- 
trive that there be such a reserve of the edition as 
shall pat off the term of accounting, to him the quart 
cTheure de Rabelais au Grsecas Kalendas ; 2dly, the 
half profits are thus accounted for : Print, paper, 
and advertising are usually made to amount to about 
one third of the whole price of the edition, and one 
third is deducted as allowance to the retail trade. 
The bookseller usually renders something about the 
remaining third as divisible profit betwixt the author 
and himself; so that upon a guinea volume the 
author receives three and sixpence. In cases where 
a rapid sale is expected, booksellers will give better 
terms ; for example, they will grant bills for the 
author's share of profit at perhaps nine or twelve 
maiths date, and thus insure him against delay of 



342 LIFE AND LETTERS 

settlements. They liave also been made to lower or 
altocjetlier abandon the char2:e of advertisino;, which 
i» i'act is a stump charge which booksellers make 
against the author, of which they never lay out one 
sixth part, because they advertise all their produc- 
tions in one advertisement, and charge the expense 
of doing so against every separate work though there 
may be twenty of them, from which you can easily 
see he must be a sreat g-ainer. Now this is all I 
know of bookselling as practiced by the most respec- 
table of the trade, and I am certain that under the 
system of half profits in one of its modifications 
Constable will be happy to publish for you. I am 
certain the " Sketch Book " could be published here 
with great advantage ; it is a delightful work. Knick- 
erbocker and " Salmagundi " are more exchisively 
American, and may not be quite so well suited for 
our meridian. But they are so excellent in their 
way, that if the public attention could be once 
turned on them I am confident that they would be- 
come popular ; but there is the previous objection to 
overcome. Now you see, my dear sir, the ground 
on which you stand. I therefore did no more than 
open trenches with Constable, but I am sure if you 
will take the trouble to write to him, you will find him 
disposed to treat your overture with every degree 
of attention. Or if you think it of consequence 
in the first place to see me, I shall be in London 
in the course of a month, and whatever my experi- 
ence can command is most heartily at your service. 
But I can add little to what I have said above, ex- 
cepting my earnest recommendation to Constable to 
enter into the negotiation. 

In my hurry I have not thanked you in Sophia'a 
«ame for the kind attention which furnished her with 
the American volumes.-^ I am not quite sure I can 
1 An American edition of liis own poems. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 343 

add my own, since you have made her acquainted 
with much more of papa's folly than she would ever 
otherwise have learned, for I had taken special care 
they should never see any of these things during 
their earlier years. I think I told you that Walter 
is sweeping the firmament with a feather like a may- 
pole, and indenting the pa.vement with a sword like 
a scythe ; in other words, he is become a whiskered 
hussar in the 18th dragoons. Trusting to see you 
soon, I am always, my dear sir, 

Most truly yours, 

Walter Scott. 

" Before the receipt of this most obliging let- 
ter," says Mr. Irving in his preface, " I had de- 
termined to look to no leading bookseller for a 
launch, but to throw my work before the public 
at my own risk, and let it sink or swim according 
to its merits." But though he had come to this 
resolution before the receipt of Scott's letter, it 
was not until the 9th of the succeeding month 
that his contract with Miller took a written form 
and the lattei* undertook to proceed with the 
publication. " I have just made arrangements 
to have a volume of the ' Sketch Book ' pub- 
lished here," he writes to his brother Ebenezer 
from London, January 13 th. " I expect the first 
proof-sheet to-day, and the volume will be pub- 
lished in about a month. If the experiment 
succeeds I shall follow it up by another volume." 



. C'HAPTER XXIV. 

Ebenezer Irving takes charge of- his Literary Concerns in 
America. — Transmits No. V. to him, consisting of " Christ- 
mas." — Written for Peculiar Tastes. — Transmits No. VI. 
— " Legend of Sleepy Hollow." — The first four Numbers 
pubhshed in England by Miller. — Author's Advertisement 
to the Edition. — Letter of Scott on the Subject. — Pas- 
sage of a Letter from Leslie. — Failure of Miller. — Murray 
takes " Sketch Book " in Hand. — A Peep into his Drawing- 
room. — Letter to James K. Paulding. — Gifford, the Editor 
of the " Quarterly Keview." — Scott. — Views of Matri- 
mony. — Decatur. — English Edition of a Second Volume 
of the " Sketch Book" commenced. — Transmits No. VII. 
to New York. — The last of the American Series. — Publi- 
cation of Second Volume in London. — Allusion to Lock- 
hart's Review of Knickerbocker in " Blackwood." — Letter 
to Brevoort. — Belzoni.— Hailam. — About to cross the 
Channel. — Yearnings for Home. 




AVING anticipated a little in giving the 
letters of Scott iu the preceding chapter, 
I now go back in my narrative to a pe- 
riod just succeeding the author's receipt of the 
great publisher's " civil note " of refusal, when 
Brevoort was writing to him : " 1 wish you would 
permit Murray to publish your work." At this 
time Brevoort was about to leave for Charleston, 
where he was to spend the winter, and had writ- 
ten to Mr. Irving : " After distributing the fourth 
number I ball settle accounts with the purchas- 



LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 345 

ers as well as with the printer, and advise you 
of t^'e balance in your favor, which will be pay- 
able within ninety days. Your brother Eben- 
ezer will then take charge of No. V. and the 
second edition. 1 shall give him every sort of 
information as to the manner of managing the 
work." 

Ebenezer, upon whom this novel guardianship 
now devolves, writes : '• Brothers William and 
John T. will assist me in the correction of proofs." 

The day after Murray's non-acceptance, and 
about a fortnight .prior to the publication of No. 
IV. in America, he transmits No. V. to his brother 
Ebenezer, consisting of " Christmas." " Whether 
No. V. will please or not," he writes, " I cannot 
say, but it has cost me more trouble and more 
odd research than any of the others." 

This number did not exactly hit the taste of 
his brother. He missed the pathetic element 
which had been so attractive a feature in the 
former numbers, and allowed himself, on a first 
perusal, to remark upon its length, and to lament 
the absence of the usual variety. In reply to 
these remarks, Washington writes : — 

The article you object to, about Christmas, Is 
written for peculiar tastes — those who are fond of 
what is quaint in literature and customs. The 
scenes there depicted are formed upon humors and 
customs peculiar to the English, and illustrative of 
their greatest holiday. The old rhymes which are 
'nterspersed are but selections from many which I 
found among old works in the British Museum, little 
read even bv Englishmen, and I'hich will have a 



34f> LIFE AND LETTERS 

value with some literary men who relish these morsels 
of antiquated humor. When an article is studieil ou* 
in this manner, it cannot have that free flowing spirit 
and humor that one Avritten ofF-hand has ; but then 
it compensates to some peculiar minds by the points 
of character or manners which it illustrates. Had I 
not thought so, I certainly would not have taken the 
trouble which the article cost me. If it possesses 
the kind of merit I mention, and pleases the pecul- 
iar, though perhaps lew tastes to which I have 
alluded, my purpose in writing the article is satisfied, 
and it will go to keep up the variety which is essen- 
tial to a work of the kind. 

On the 29th of December, he transmits to 
New York No. VI. consisting of the " Pride of 
the Village," and the " Legend of Sleepy Hol- 
low " — " John Bull," which formed one of the 
articles, being already there. 

I send you MS. for No. VL (he writes to Eben- 
ezer). There Is a Knickerbocker story which may 
please from its representation of American scenes. 
It is a . random thing, suggested by recollections of 
scenes and stories about Tarrytown. The story Is a 
mere whimsical band to connect descriptions of 
scenery, customs, manners, etc. 

The outline of this story had been sketched 
more than a year before at Birmingham, after a 
conversation with his brother-in-law. Van Wart, 
who had been dwelling upon some recollections 
of his early years at Tarrytown, and had touched 
upon a waggish fiction of one Brom Bones, a 
wild blade, wh > professed to fear nothing, and 
boasted of his having once met the devil on a 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 347 

return from a nocturnal frolic, and run a race 
with liim for a bowl of milk punch. The imagi- 
nation of the author suddenly kindled over the 
recital, and in a few hours he had scribbled off 
the framework of his renowned story, and was 
reading it to his sister and her husband. He 
then threw it by until he went up to London, 
where it was expanded into the present legend. 

In the interval between the transmission of 
the sixth and seventh numbers to New York, a 
volume of the " Sketch Book " was published in 
England. February 24, 1820, Washington writes 
to Ebenezer : — 

The volume containing the first four numbers of 
the " Sketch Book " was published on Monday last by 
John Miller, Burlington Arcades. I shall not pub- 
lish any more, and should not have done this, had 
there not been a likelihood of these works being 
republished here from incorrect American numbers. 

On the publication of this volume, Miller urged 
Mr. Irving to send copies to the different periodi- 
cals ; but he declined, being unwilling to do what 
might appear like a desire to propitiate their 
tavor. 

It was put to press (as he says in his preface) 
without any of the usual arts by which a work is 
trumpeted into notice. All he permitted himself 
was an appeal, not to the indulgence, but the candor 
of the critics in his advertisement to the edition.^ 
The following desultory papers (he says) are part of a 
series written in this country, but published in Amer- 
ica. The author is aware of the austerity with 



348 LIFE AND LETTERS 

•whieli the writings of his countrymen have hitherto 
been treated by British critics ; he is conscious, too, 
that much of the contents of his papers can be inter- 
estin<^ only in the eyes of American readers. It 
was not his intention, therefore, to liave them re- 
printed in this country. He has, however, observed 
several of them from time to time inserted in period- 
ical works of merit, and has understood that it was 
probable they would be republished in a collective 
form. He has been induced, therefore, to revise and 
bring them forward himself, that they may at least 
come correctly beibre the public. Should they be 
deemed of sufficient importance to attract the atten- 
tion of critics, he solicits for them that courtesy and 
candor which a stranger has some right to claim, who 
presents himself at the threshold of a hospitable 
nation. 

February, 1820. 

Before this he had written to Scott, who had 
not come to London at the time proposed in his 
letter, informing him of the arrangement he had 
made with Miller, by the terms of which the 
publication was to consist of one thousand copies, 
and the author took upon himself the entire ex- 
pense of paper, printing, and advertisements, and 
the risk of sale. The following is Scott's re- 

ply: — 

Edinburgh, March 1, 1820. 
My dear Sir: — 

I was some time since favored with your kind re- 
membrance of the 9th, and observe with pleasure 
that you are going to come forth in Britain. It is 
certainly not the very best way to publish on one's 
own account, for the booksellers set their facei 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 349 

against the circulation of such works as do not pay 
an amazing toll to themselves. But they have lost 
the art of altogether damming up the road in such 
cases between the author and the public, which they 
were once able to do as effectually as Diabolus, in 
John Bunyan's " Holy War," closed up the windows 
of my Lord Understanding's mansion. I am sure ot 
one thing, that you have only to be known to the 
British public to be admired by them ; and I would 
not say so unless I really was of that opinion. If 
you ever see a witty but rather local publication 
called " Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine," you will 
find some notice of your works in the last number. 
The author is a friend of mine to whom I have intro- 
duced you in your literary capacity. His name is 
Lockhart — a young man of very considerable talent, 
and who will soon be intimately connected with my 
family. My faithful friend Knickerbocker is to be 
next examined and illustrated. Constable was ex- 
tremely willing to enter into consideration of a treaty 
for your works, but I foresee will be still more so 
when 

" Your name is up and may go 
From Toledo to Madrid." 

And that will be soon the case. 

Scott came to London about the middle of 
March, for the ptirpose of receiving his baronetcy, 
at which time Mr. Irving' was on a visit to his 
brother-in-law, Van Wart, at Birmingham, not hav- 
ing seen the family for more than a year and a half, 
durinjx which interval he had been leadino^ a !-ol- 
' itary life in London. He had returned on the 
27th of Marcji, and on the 9th of April, Leslie 
wrote lo his .sisicr : — 



350 LIFE AND LETTERS 

Walter Scott (now Sir Walter) is in London ; and 
I am to hive the honor, and I am sure it will be the 
very great pleasure, of breakfasting with him at his 
lodgings on Friday next, Irving, who I suspect of 
being a very great favorite of Scott's, is to introduce 
me. It Is what I did not venture to ask of him ; 
but Irving knowing how much such an introduction 
would gratify me, proposed it himself. I believe we 
are to meet Crabbe, the poet, there. Scott is one 
of those men of genius who delights in the genius of 
others, and is not for having it all to himself. He 
has expressed the highest opinion of Irving's pro- 
ductions, and perhaps there is not another man in 
this country whose good opinion is so valuable. 
You will be glad to hear that there is every prospect 
of Irving's writings speedily becoming as popular here 
as they are in America. An edition of the first volume 
of the " Sketch Book " is very nearly sold off here 
already. One of the stories, " The Wife," has been 
translnted into French ; and many of the articles 
have been extracted for the magazines and news- 
papers. Scott was very much delighted with the 
sixth number, particularly with the story of " Brom 
Bones." 

This allusion to the sixth uumber of the 
" Sketch Book," which was not yet printed in 
England, would imply that an American number 
had been shown to Scott, or a duplicate in manu- 
script. But while Leslie vvas penning this ac- 
count of the success of his friend, the volume he 
had put to press in England was destined to an 
untoward mischance. His bookseller failed, and 
the sale of the work, which was just getting into 
Ciir circulation, wa'^ itttcrrupted, and his hopes of 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 351 

profit, if he had been sanguine of any, dashed to 
the ground. At this juncture Scott interposed 
his good offices. 

I called to him for help (writes Mr. Irving in the 

preface to the revised edition of the '' Sketch Book ") 
as I vas sticking in the nilre ; and more propitious 
than Hercules, he put his own shoulder to the wheel. 
Through his favorable representations, Murray was 
quickly induced to undertake the future publications 
of the work, which he had previously declined. A 
further edition of the first volume was struck off, and 
the second volume was put to press, and from that 
time Murray became my publisher ; conducting him- 
self in all his dealings with that fair, open, and 
liberal spirit, which hatl obtained for him the well- 
merited appellation of the Prince of Booksellers. 

The following letter to Brevoort will now be 
in place : — 

London, May 13, 1820. 
My Dear Brevoort : — 

I send this letter by my friend Delafield, whom, I 
presume, you know ; if not, you ought to know him, 
for he is a right worthy fellow. He has in charge a 
portrait of me, painted by Newton, the nephew of Mr. 
Stuart. It is considered an excellent likeness, and I 
am willing it should be thought so — though, between 
ourselves, I think myself a much better-looking fel- 
low on canvas than in the looking-glass. I beg you 
to accept it as a testimony of my affection ; and my 
deep sense of your truly brotherly kindness towards 
me on all occasions 

The " Sketch Book " is doing very well here. It 
has been checked for a time by the failure of Miller ; 
hut Murray has taken it in hand, and it will now 



352 LIFE AND LETTERS 

have a fair chance, I shall put a complete edition 
to press next week, in two volumes ; and at the 
same time print a separate edition of the second 
volume, to match the editions of the first already 
published. I have received very flattering compli- 
ments from several of the literati, and find my circle 
of acquaintance extending faster than I could wish. 
Murray's drawing-room is now a frequent resort of 
mine, where I have been introduced to several inter- 
esting characters, and have been most courteously 
received by Giffbrd. Old D'Israeli is a staunch 
friend of mine also ; and I have met with some very 
interesting people at his house. This evening I go 
to the Countess of Besborough's, where there is to be 
quite a collection of characters, among whom I shall 
see Lord Welhngton, whom I have never yet had 

the good luck to meet with 

I shall not send any more manuscript to America, 
until I put it to press here, as the second volume 
might be delayed, and the number come out here 
from America. The manner in which the work has 
been received here, instead of giving me spirit to 
write, has rather daunted me for the time. I feel 
uneasy about the second volume, and cannot write 
any fresh matter ibr it 

The following letter to James K. Paulding, 
written twelve days later, is in answer to one 
from him, dated at Washington, wheie he now 
held a post under Government, and of which Mr. 
Irving says in a letter to Brevoort : " It brought 
so many recollections of early times, and scenes, 
and companions, and pursuits to my memoiy, that 
my heart was filled to overfiowing." In the allu- 
sion to Decatur, it will be recollected that he had 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 353 

on the 22(1 of March previous fallen in a duel 
tvith Commodore Barron, induced by some anim- 
adversions or his on the conduct of ihe latter 
In the affair of the Leopard and the Chesapeake. 

London, May 27, 1820. 
My dear James : — 

It is some time since I received your very interest- 
ing and gratifying letter of January 20th, and I have 
ever since been on the point of answering it, but 
been prevented by those thousand petty obstacles 
that are always in the way of letter writing. 

As I am launched upon the literary world here, 
I find my opportunities of observation extending. 
Murray's drawing-room is a great resort of first-rate 
literary characters ; whenever I have a leisure hour 
I go there, and seldom fail to meet with some inter- 
esting personages. The hours of access are from 
two to five. It is understood to be a matter of priv- 
ilege, and that you must have a general invitation 
from Murray. Here I frequently meet with such 
])ersonages as Gifford, Campbell, Foscolo, Hallam 
(author of a work on the Middle Ages), Southey, 
Milman, Scott, Belzoni, etc., etc. The visitors are 
men of different politics, though most frequently min- 
isterialists. Gifiord, of whom, as an old adversary, 
you may be curious to know something, is a small, 
shriveled, detbrmed man of about sixty, with some- 
thing of a humped back, eyes tliat diverge, and a 
large mouth. He is generally reclining on one of 
the sofas, and supporting himself by the cushions, 
being very much debilitated. He is mild and court- 
eous in his manners, without any of the petulance that 
you would be apt to expect, and is quite simple, un- 
affected, and unassuming, Murray tells me that Gif- 
ford does not write any full articles for the *' Review," 

VOT,. t. 25 



354 LIFE AND LETTKHS 

but revises, modifies, prunes, and prepares whatever 
is offered ; and is very apt to extract the sting from 
articles that are rather virulent. Scott, or Sir Wal- 
ter Scott, as he is now called, passed some few 
weeks in towm lately, on coming up for his baronetcy, 
I saw him repeatedlyj having formed an acquaintance 
with him two or three years since at his country re- 
treat on the Tweed. He is a man that, if you knew, 
you would love ; a right honest-hearted, generous- 
spirited being ; without vanity, affectation, or assump- 
tion of any kind. He enters into every passing 
Bcene or passing pleasure with the interest and simple 
enjoyment of a child ; nothing seems too high or re- 
mote for the grasp of his mind, and nothing too trivial 
or low for the kindness and pleasantry of his spirit 
When I was in want of literary counsel and assist- 
ance, Scott was the only literary man to whom I 
felt that I could talk about myself and my petty 
concerns with the confidence and freedom that I 
would to an old friend. Nor was I deceived ; from 
the first moment that I mentioned my work to him in 
a letter, he took a decided and effective interest in it, 
and hds been to me an invaluable friend. It is only 
astonishing how he finds time, with such ample ex- 
ercise of the pen, to attend so nmch to the interests 
and concerns of others ; but no one ever applied to 
Scott for any aid, counsel, or service that would cost 
time and trouble, that was not most cheerfully ami 
thoroughly assisted. Life passes away with him in 
a round of good offices and social enjoyments. Lit- 
erature seems his sport rather than his labor or his 
ambition, and I never met with an author so com- 
pletely void of all the petulance, egotism, and peculi- 
arities of the craft ; but I am running into prolixity 
about Scott, who I confess has completely won my 
heart, even more as a man than as an author ; so, 
praying God to bless him. we will change the subject. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 855 

Your picture of domestic enjoyment indeed raises 
my envy. With all my wandering habits, which are 
the result of circumstances rather than of disposition, 
I think I was formed for an honest, domestic, uxo- 
rious man, and I cannot hear of my old cronies snugly 
nestled down with good wives and fine children 
round them, but I feel for the moment desolate and 
forlorn. Heavens ! what a haphazard, schemeless 
litl; mine has been, that here I should be, at tliis time 
of life, youth slipping away, and scribbling month 
after month and year after year, far from home, 
without any means or prospect of entering into matri- 
mony, which I absolutely believe indispensable to 
the happiness and even comfort of the after part of 
existence. When I fell into misfortunes and saw 
all the means of domestic establishment pass away 
like a dream, I used to comfort myself with the idea 
that if I was indeed doomed to remain single, you 
and Brevoort and Gouv. Kemble would also do the 
same, and that we should form a knot of queer, rum 
old bachelors, at some future day, to meet at the 
corner of Wall Street or walk the sunny side of 
Broadway and kill time together. But you and 
Brevoort have given me the slip, and now tliat 
Gouv. has turned Vulcan and is forpinw thunderbolts 
so successfully in the Highlands, I expect nothing 
more than to hear of his conveying some blooming 
bride up to the smithy. But Heaven prosper you 
all, and grant that 1 may find you all thriving and 
happy when I return. 

I cannot close my letter without adverting to the 
sad story of our gallant friend Decatur ; though my 
heart rises to my throat the moment his idea comes 
across my mind. He was a friend " faithful and 
just " to me, and I have gone through such scenes of 
'ife as make a man feel the value of friendship. I 



356 LIFE AND LETTERS 

can never forget how generously he stepped forth in 
my behalf, when I felt beaten down and broken- 
spirited ; I can never forget him as the companion of 
some of my happiest hours, and as mingled with 
some of the last scenes of home and its enjoyments ; 
these recollections bring him closer to my feelings 
than all the brilliancy of his public career. But he 
has lived through a life of animation and enjoyment, 
and died in the fullness of fame and prosperity ; his 
cup was always full to the brim, and he has not 
lingered to drain it to the dreg-s and taste of the 
bitterness. I feel most for her he has left behind, 
and from all that I recollect of her devoted affection, 
her disconsolateness even during his temporay ab- 
sence and jeopardy, I shrink from picturing to my- 
self Avhat must now be her absolute wretchedness. If 
she is still near you give her my most affectionate 
remembrances ; to speak of sympathy to her would 
be intrusion. 

And now, my dear James, with a full heart I take 
my leave of you. Let me hear from you just when 
it is convenient ; no matter how long or how short 
the letter, nor think any apologies necessary for 
delays, only let me hear from you. I may suffer 
time to elapse myself, being unsettled, and often per- 
plexed and occupied ; but believe me always the 
same in my feelings, however irregular in my con- 
duct, and that no new acquaintances that a traveller 
makes in his casual sojourniugs are apt to wear out 
the deep recollections of his early friends. Give my 
love to Gertrude, who I have no doubt is a perfect 
pattern for wives, and when your boy grows large 
enough to understand tough stories, tell him some of 
our early frolics, that he may have some kind of an 
acquaintance with me against we meet. 

Affectionately your friend, 

W. Irving. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 357 

On the 28th of June, after the printers had 
commenced upon the English edition of the sec- 
ond volume of the " Sketch Book," Mr. Irving 
transmitted to his brother Ebeuezer the sheets 
for the seventh number, to be made up of " West- 
minster Abbey," " Stratf>rd-on-Avon," " Little 
Britain," and '' the Angler." 

Of the last article he writes : — 

It is a sketch drawn almost entirely from the 
life ; and, therefore, if it has no other merit, it has 
that of truth and nature, 

Jt is not likely (he adds) that I shall publish 
another number soon. I have had so much mud- 
dling work with the " Sketch Book " from publish- 
ing in both countries, that I have grown tired of it, 
and have lost all excitement. 1 shall feel relieved 
from a cloud, when I get this volume printed and 
out of my sight 

The seventh number, published September 13, 
1820, terminated the series in America ; but the 
second volume of the English " Sketch Book," 
included two additional articles, previously con- 
tributed by Mr. Irving to the " Analectic Maga- 
zine," namely : " Traits of Indian Character," and 
" Philip of Pokanoket." These articles were sub- 
sequently incorporated in the American volumes. 

The following letters to his brother Ebenezer 
and Brevoort were written on the eve of his de- 
parture for the continent on that long-talked-of 
excursion, to which he was looking forward when 
he embarked from America ; but which circum- 
gtances had so conspired to delay. 



558 LIFE AND LETTERS 

[To Ebenezer Irving.'] 

London, August 15, 1820. 

. . . . The " Sketch Book " has been very 
successful in England. The first volume is out of 
print, which is doing very well, considering that it ia 
but four or five months since it was published ; that 
it has had to make its own way, against many dis- 
advantages, being written by an author the public 
knew nothing of, and published by a bookseller who 
was going to ruin. The second volume, of which a 
thousand were printed, is going off briskly ; and 
Murray proposes putting to press immediately a uni- 
form edition of the two volumes at his own expense. 
I have offered, however, to dispose of the work to 
him entirely, and am to know his answer to-morrow.^ 
He wishes likewise to publish an edition of Knicker- 
bocker, which has been repeatedly spoken well 
of in the British publications, and particularly in 
** Blackwood's Magazine," in which I have received 
the highest eulogium that has ever been passed upon 
me. It is written by Lockhart, author of " Peter's 
Letters to his Kinsfolk," and son-in-law to Sir Wal- 
ter Scott. You will perceive that I have dedicated 
my second volume to Scott ; but this dedication had 
not been seen by Lockhart at the time he wrote the 
eulogium. Should a new and complete edition of 
the work be published in America, I wish the dedi- 
cation to be placed in the first volume. I cannot 
sufficiently express how sensible I feel of the warm 
and affectionate interest which Scott has taken in 
uie and my writings. My second volume has been 
noticed by two or three periodical publications, and 
in the same favorable way with the first. I have 
received abundance of private marks of approba- 

1 Murray oought the copy-right for two hundred pounds- 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 359 

tion from literary people here ; and upon the whole, 
have reason to be highly gratified with the success 
of my literary enterprise in this country. After all, 
I value success here chiefly as tending to confirm 
my standing in my own country ; for it is to popu- 
larity at home that I look as the sweetest source of 
enjoyment. 

London, August 15, 1820. 
My dear Brevoort : — 

I am now in all the hurry and bustle of breaking 
up my encampment, and moving off for the conti- 
nent. After remaining so long in one place it is 
painful to cast loose again and turn oneself adrift ; 
but I do not wish to remain long enough in any 
place in Em'ope to make it a home. 

Since I have published with Murray, I have had 
continual opportunities of seeing something of the 
literary world, and have formed some very agreeable 
acquaintances 

There have been some literary coteries set on foot 
lately, by some Blue Stockings of fashion, at which 
I have been much amused. Lady Caroline Lamb 
is a great promoter of them. You may have read 
some of her writings, particularly her " Glenarvon,' 
in Avliich she has woven many anecdotes of fashion 
able life and fashionable characters ; and hinted at 
particulars of her own story, and that of Lord 
Byron. She is a strange being, a compound of 
contradictions, with much to admire, much to stare 
at, and much to condemn 

I have been very much pleased also with Belzoni, 
the traveller, who is just bringing out a personal 
narrative of his researches, illustrated with very ex- 
traordinary plates. There is the interior of a tem- 
ple, excavated in a hill, which he discovered and 
»pen:;d ; which had the effect on me of an Arabian 



300 LIFE AND LETTERS 

tale. There are rows of gigantic statues, thirty fee{ 
high, cut out of the calcareous rock, in perfect pres» 
ervation. I have been as much delighted in con, 
versing with him, and getting from him an account 
of his adventures and feelings, as was ever one of 
Sinbad's auditors. Belzoni is about six feet four or 
five inches high ; of a large frame, but a small, and, 
I think, a very fine head ; and a countenance which, 
at times, is very expressive and intelligent 

I have also frequently met with Mr. Hallam, 
whose able and interesting work on the Middle 
Ages you have no doubt seen, and most probably have 
in your library. Like all other men of real talent 
and unquestionable merit, he is affable and unpre- 
tending. He is a copious talker, and you are sure, 
when he is present, to have conversation briskly 
kept up. But it is useless merely to mention names 
in this manner ; and is too much like entertaininor 
jne with a description of a banquet, by merely 
naming the dishes. One thing I have found invari- 
ably, that the greater the merit, the less has been 
the pretension ; and that there is no being so mod- 
est, natural, unaffected, and unassuming as a first- 
rate genius. 

I am delighted to hear that our worthy Patroon 
is doing well with his foundry. God bless and 
prosper him, and make him as rich and as happy as 
he desei'ves to be. I believe I told you in my last 
of a long letter, which I received from James Pauld- 
ing — it was a most gratifying one tome; audit 
gave me a picture of quiet prosperity and domestic 
enjoyment, which it is delightful for a wandering, 
unsettled being like myself to contemplate. O ! 
my dear Brevoort, how my heart warms towards you 
all, when I get talking and thinking of past times 
and past scenes ! What would I not give for a few 



Ob WASHINGTON IRVING. 361 

days among the Highlands of the Hudson, vfitli the 
little knot that was once assembled there ! But I 
shall return home and find all changed, and shall 
be made sensible how much I have changed myself. 
It is this idea wliich continually comes across my 
mind, when I think of home ; and I am continually 
picturing to myself the dreary state of a poor devil 
like myself, who, after wandering about the world 
among strangers, returns to find himself a still 

greater stranger in his native place 

And now, my dear fellow, I must take my leave, 
for it is midnight, and I am wearied with packing 
trunks and making other preparations for my de- 
parture. The next you will hear from me Avill be 
from France ; and after passing five years in Eng- 
land among genuine John Bulls, it will be like en- 
tering into a new world to cross the channel. 




CHAPTER XXV. 

Lodgings in Paris. — Growing Popularity of the " Sketch 
Book " in England. — Its Parentage ascribed to Scott. — 
Correspondence on the Subject. — Christmas Invitation. — 
Murray authorizes Draft of One iiundred Guineas for 
" Sketch Book," in addition to the Terms agreed upon, and 
publishes Knickerbocker. — Letter to Leslie. — His Designs 
for Knickerbocker. — His Likeness of Geoffrey. — Peter 
Powell's Burlesque Account of its Costume. — The Author's 
Sensitive Comment, and Leslie's Reply. — Subjects chosen 
by Leslie for Knickerbocker. — The Author's opinion of 
them. — Increasing Reputation in England. 




HE two brothers left London for Paris 
on the 17th of August. 
I ought to have mentioned before, that 
they had occupied the same lodgings in London 
for about a year, during which Peter gave anony- 
mously to the world a Venetian tale, taken from 
the French, entitled '• Giovanni Sbogarro," which 
he had written at Birmingham. It was published 
m London and in New York, but belonging as 
it did to a school of fiction that was passing away 
under the brilliant advent of Scott, its pecuniary 
success was not very encouraging. 

Mr. Irving took lodgings at Paris, at No. 4 
Rue Mont Thabor, in the vicinity of the Tuiler- 
ies ; but he had become so unsettled in mind by 
shifting his quarters to new scenes, that it was 
8ome time before he was able to resume his pen. 



LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 363 

I have been about a month in Paris (he writes to 
William, September 2 2d), and begin to feel a little 
more at home. Mr. Gallatin ^ has been extremely 
attentive to me. I have dined "with him repeatedly. 
Either Paris or myself has changed very much since 
I was here before. It is by no means so gay as 
formerly ; that is to say, the populace have a more 
grave and triste appearance. You see but little of 
the sprightliness and gayety of manner for which the 
French are proverbial. However, as I have been 
here but a little time I will not begin to give opin- 
ions ; and as I wish my letter to go safe, I will not 
interlard it with any speculations on national charac- 
ter or concerns. 

Meanwhile the " Sketch Book " was making 
a fame for him in England. The " Edinburgh 
Review," in an article written by Jeffrey, con- 
tained a handsome tribute to his talents, and per- 
haps not the least flattering circumstance con- 
nected with its publication in the eyes of Mr. 
Irving, was a rumor which ascribed its parentage 
to Sir Walter Scott. 

This fact was brought to his knowledge m a 
most gratifying manner in a letter from Mr. 
Richard Rush, our minister at the court of St. 
James, transmitting one from the accomplished 
Lady Lyttleton, the daughter of Earl Spencer 
As it forms a curious and interesting anecdote, I 
give the correspondence ; a portion of it being 
from copies retained by Mr. Irving. 

1 Albert Gallatin, the Ameiican ]^Iinister. 



364 LIFE AND LETTERS 

[^From the Hon. Richard Rush to Wash. Irving.'] 

London, October 20, 1820. | 
11 Blenheim Street. J 
My Dear Sir : — 

I value the inclosed letter very highly, and would 
not trust it out of my own hands but to pass it to 
yours, and almost tremble at risking it to Paris 
Pray, therefore, do not fail to return it, and I must 
say the sooner the better, as I shall wait impatiently 
for your answer before returning a final one to my 
fair correspondent. 

She is Lady Lyttleton, the daughter of Earl Spen- 
cer, and is among the most accomplished and lovely 
women of England ; worthy, as I think, of another 
monody from Hayley, should fate ever snatch her from 
her almost equally estimable husband. If you do 
not write to me soon all that you have to say upon 
her letter, I shall certainly give her to understand, 
and perhaps under my official seal, that you are the 
author of " Waverley," " Rob Roy," and some two or 
three more of the Shakespearian novels ; for as Sir 
Walter Scott is to have the credit of the " Sketch 
Book," I can see no good reason why a portion of his 
laurels should not be transferred to you by way of 
indemnification 

[^From Lady Lyttleton to Mr. Rush.] 

Dear Sir : — 

I hope your Excellency will not think that I am 
presuming too far upon your goodness in taking the 
liberty of making an inquiry which relates to a sub- 
ject of some interest, I think to yourself as well as 
to me. A report has lately prevailed in the literary 
world, I do not exactly know upon what grounds, 
that the '■^Sketch Book," which you first procured us the 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 365 

very great pleasure of reading, was written, not as it 
professes to be, by a countryman of yours, but by Sir 
Walter Scott, whose very numerous disguises and 
whose well-known fondness for literary masquerading 
seem to have sjained him the advantage of being 
suspected as the author of every distinguished work 
that is published. It appears to me that the merits 
of the *' Sketch Book " are so very unlike those of 
Scott, and that the style and nature of the work are 
so new and peculiar, that it puts me out of all pa- 
tience to hear the surmise, and I could not rest till I 
had applied to your Excellency for some proof of its 
falsehood. I am told that nobody has yet actually 
sail a copy of the book printed in America ; that 
Sir Walter Scott, a great friend, as he calls himself, 
of the pretended author, inadvertently asserted one 
day that Mr. Washington Irving had resided in Lon- 
don all the time he was in England ; he could not, 
therefore, it was inferred, have written the admirably 
just descriptions of English rural life ; and upon my 
appearing obstinately incredulous. I was assured that 
if Sir Walter Scott did not write the whole, he at 
least revised the language, and had all the merit of 
the style. Let me entreat your Excellency to send 
me a triumphant proof that all this is groundless, and 
that the very prettiest and most amiable book we have 
«ad for a long time has not the defect of being a 
trick upon readers 

[^From Washington Irving to Mr. Rush '. 

Paris, October 28, 1820. { 
4 Rue Mont Thabor. J 

My dear Sir : — 

I feel very much obliged by your letter of the 20th, 
and am highly flattered by the letter of Lady Lyt- 
tleton, which you were so good as to inclose, and 



360 LIFE AAD LETTERS 

which I herewith return. It is indeed delightful to 
receive applause from such a quarter. As her lady- 
ship seems desirous of full and explicit information 
as to the authorship of the " Sketch Book," you may 
assure her that it was entirely written by myself; 
that the revisions and corrections were my own, and 
that I have had no literary assistance either in the 
beginning or the finishing of it. I speak fully to 
this point, not from any anxiety cf authorship, but 
because the doubts which her ladyship has heard on 
the subject seem to have arisen from the old notion 
that it is impossible for an American to write decent 
English. If I have indeed been fortunate enough to 
do anything, however triliing, to stagger this preju- 
dice, I am too good a patriot to give up even the 
little ground I have gained. As to the article on 
" Rural Life in England," which appears to have 
pleased her ladyship, It may give It some additional 
interest In her eyes to know that though the result of 
general Impressions received In various excursions 
about the country, yet it was sketched in the vicinity 
of Hagley ^ just after I had been rambling about its 
grounds, and whilst its beautiful scenery, with that 
of the neighborhood, were fresh in my recollection. 

I cannot help smiling at the idea that anything I 
have written should be deemed worthy of being at- 
tributed to Sir Walter Scott, and that I should be 
called upon to vindicate ray weak pen from the 
honor of such a parentage. He could tenant half a 
hundred scribblers like myself on the mere skirts of 
his literary reputation. He never saw my writings 
until in print ; but though he has not assisted me 
with his pen, yet the interest which he took in my 

1 The seat of Lord Lyttleton, where the old customs were 
kept up, as related by Geoffrey Crayon hi his Christmas Eve 
and Christmas Dinner. 



OF WASHINGTON IRWNG. 367 

success ; the praises which he bestowed on some of 
the first American numbers forwarded to him ; the 
encouragement he gave to me to go on and do more, 
and the coimtenance he gave to the first volume 
when republished in England have, perhaps, been 
more effectually serviceable than if he had revised 
and corrected my work page by page. He has 
always been to me a frank, generous, warm-hearted 
friend, and it is one of my greatest gratifications to 
be able to calf him such. Indeed, it is the delight 
of his noble and liberal nature to do good and to dis- 
pense happiness ; those who only know him through 
his writino-s know not a tithe of his excellence.-^ 

Present my sincere remembrances to Mrs. Rush, 
and believe me, dear sir, 

With very great respect. 

Yours faithfully, 

Washington Irving. 

The information contained in this letter, or 
perhaps the letter itself, was communicated by 
Mr. Rush to Lady Lyttletori, and was succeeded 
by a message from Lord and Lady Spencer, her 
parents, expressing an earnest desire to become 
acquainted with the author of the " Sketch Book," 
and inviting him to spend the approaching Christ- 
mas at their place. The invitation was conveyed 
through Mr. Rush, in a note from Mr. Lyttleton. 
The following is Mr. Irving's reply, which I give 
trom a copy preserved among his papers. 

1 From a draft of Mr. Irving's reply. 



368 LIFE AND LETTERS 

\To the Hon. Richard Rush."] 

Paris, December 6. 1820. 
My dear Sir : — 

I feel very much indebted to you for your letter 
of the 27th, and hardly know how to express myself 
as to the very flattering communication irora Mr. 
Lyttleton. It is enough to excite the vanity of a 
soberer man than myself. Nothing would give me 
greater gratification than to avail myself of the hos- 
pitable invitation of Lord and Lady Spencer, but at 
present it is out of my power to leave Paris, and 
■would be deranging all my plans to return immedi- 
ately to England. Will you be kind enough to con- 
vey to Mr. Lyttleton my sincere acknowledgments 
of his politeness, and also of the honor done me by 
Lord and Lady Spencer ; but above all, my heart- 
felt sense of the interest evinced in my behalf by 
Lady Lyttleton, which I frankly declare is one of the 
most gratitying circumstances that has befallen me 
ill the whole course of my literary errantry. 

Excuse all this trouble which circumstances oblige 
me to give your Excellency, and bolleve me, with 
m}' best remembrances to Mrs. Rush, 

Yours very faithfully, 

Washington Irving. 

Some weeks prior to the date of this letter, 
(October 26), ]\ir. Murray informed the author 
that his volumes had succeeded so much beyond 
his mercantile estimate, that he begged he would 
do him the favor to draw on him at sixty five 
days for one hundi'ed guineas, in addition to the 
terms agreed upon. 

He had also been encouraged to publish the 
, " History of New York." 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 369 

I did not know you [he writes] as I ought and 
might have known you until I read " Knickerbocker," 
of which I am equally happy and proud to have 
been, though tardily, the publisher. After all, it is 
at present, and only at present I trust, your opus 
magnum ; it is the Don Quixote or Hudibras of 
your country, and, connected with your age at the 
time it was written, displays most certain marks of 
genius. It is very generallj- liked here ; and if so, 
how much more it must be felt, and therefore much 
more enjoyed by your own countrymen. I am quite 
delighted Avith the novelty of character and scenery, 
which you have so admirably dramatized, and so 
vividly painted. I have printed it in one octavo 
volume to range with the *' Sketch Book ; " but I 
think this is not the form most appropriate to it, and 
I now propose to reprint it in four or five small 
volumes like Lord Byron's works, and denominated 
foolscap octavo. 

In the same letter, Mr. Murray informs him 
that he had been very much struck with the ex- 
quisite humor and correct taste of Leslie's first 
desio;n, and had enoasjed him to look over the 
volume and see if he could make eight or twelve 
designs equally happy with the first. He also 
urges him no longer to conceal his name from 
the world, but to accept openly the wreath the 
public had in store for him, give his name to the 
works, and write a simple preface announcing 
it. 

At this time Murray had already reprinted the 
second volume of the " Sketch Book," and was 
preparing a new and uniform edition of both vol- 
umes in a smaller size. 

VOL. I. 24 



370 LIFE AND LETTERS 

In another part of his letter he says : '' By the 
way, Lord Byron says in his pithy manner, in 
a letter received to-day, of date October 8, 
' Crayon is [very] good,' interlined as I have 
written it." •"• 

It is very evident, if Mr. Murray had placed 
too low an estimate upon Mr. Irving at first, he 
was fully alive to his merits now. " I am con- 
vinced," he says, " I did not half know you, and 
esteeming you highly as I did, certainly my es- 
teem is doubled by my better knowledge of you." 
It was something of a triumph to receive such a 
letter from the bookseller who had first declined 
being his publisher. 

On the receipt of this letter he writes to Les- 
lie : — 

I have just received a very long and friendly let- 
ter from Mr. Murray, who in fact has overwhelmed 

1 In a manuscript account of a visit to BjTon at Ravenna, 
in June, 1821, now before rae, by a young American, whom 
Byron describes as " intelligent, very handsome," " a little 
romantic," the poet, after a high encomium upon the Knick- 
erbocker history, thus breaks oflF about the " Sketch Book:*' 
His Cra3'on — I know it by heart, at least there is not a pas- 
sage that I cannot refer to immediately." 

In alluding to this American visitor, IMr. Coolidge of Bos- 
ton, Byron says in a letter to Moore: ''I talked with him 
much of Irving, whose writings are m}'^ delight. But I sus- 
pect that he did not take quite so much to me, from his 
having expected to meet a misanthropical gentleman. In wolf- 
skin breeches, and answering in fierce monosyllables, instead 
of a man of this world. 1 can never get people to unde/stAnd 
that poetry is the expression of excited passion, and that ther*" 
/s no such thing as a life of passion any more than a contin 
U0U8 earthquake, or an eternal fever." 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 37 1 

mo with eulogiums. It appears that my writings are 
selling well, and he is multiplying editions. I am 
very glad to find that he has made your acquaint- 
ance, and still more that he has taken a great liking 
to you. He speaks of you in the most gratifying 
terms. He has it in his power to be of service to 
you, and I trust he will be. He tells me he has re 
quested you to look over " Knickerbocker " for sub- 
jects for eight or ten sketches, and the " Sketch 
Book " for a couple, and he wishes me to assist you 
with my opinion on the subject. I will look over 
the books and write to you in a day or two. Murray 
is going to make me so fine in print that I shall 
hardly know myself Could not Allston's design be 
reduced without losing the characteristic humor of 
it ? I am delighted to think that your labors are to 
be thus interwoven with mine, so that we shall have 
a kind of joint interest and pride in every volume 

My dear boy, It is a grievous thing to be separated 
from you, and I feel it more and more. I wish to 
heaven this world were not so wide, and that we 
could manage to keep more together in it ; this con- 
tinual separating from those we like is one of the 
curses of an unsettled life, and with all my vagrant 
habits I cannot get accustomed to it. 

. . . Mr. Tappan, who bears this letter, 
told me that it was the wish of Fairmau and your- 
self that an eno-ravino; should be made from the like- 
ness you have of me. It is a matter I do not feel 
so much objection to as I did formerly, having been 
so much upon the town lately as to have lost much 
of. my modesty. And as I understand that therf 
has been some spurious print of my phiz in America 
1 do not care if another is made to push it out of 
sight. You will only be careful to finish the picture 
BO as not to give it too fixed and precise a fashion oi 



372 LIFE AND LETTERS 

dress. I preferred the costume of Newtoa's likeness 
of me, which was trimmed with fur. These modern 
dresses are apt to give a paUry, commonplace air. 

This caution to Leslie about the costume 
proved the occasion of a piece of waggery on 
the part of a facetious friend, Peter Powell, one 
of his little circle of intimates in London, con- 
sisting of Leslie, Newton, the " Childe," as he 
was nicknamed, and Willis, an Irish landscape 
painter, more frequently spoken of in his letters 
as Father Luke. In writing to him, Powell in- 
formed him that he understood the world was 
soon to be gratiiied by an engraving of his phys- 
iognomy, to grace the next edition of his works. 
*' Leslie's picture is very much like you," he 
writes, "but I think plain, unsophisticated people 
will be monstrously puzzled to ktiow why you 
should be drawn in the habiliments of a, Venetian 
nobleman of the sixteenth century, though as far 
as effect goes it is picturesque enough." 

This supposed change in Leslie's portrait of 
him called out the followino- sensitive comment in 
a letter to the artist, of December 19. 

I received a letter from Peter Powell, in which he 
speaks of my portrait being in the engraver's hands, 
and that it is painted in the old Venetian costume. 
I hope you have not misunderstood my meaning 
when I spoke about the costume in which I should 
like to be painted. I believe I spoke something 
about the costume of Newton's portrait. I meant 
Newton's portrait of me, not of hhnnelf. If you rec- 
ollect, he painted me as if in some kind of an over- 
3oat with a fur cape ; a dress that had nothing in it 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 373 

remarkable, but which merely avoided any present 
fashion that might in a few years appear stupid. 
The Venetian dress which Newton painted himself 
in -would have a fantastic appearance, and savor of 
affectation. If it is not too late, I should like to 
have the thing altered. Let the costume be simple 
and picturesque, but such a one as a gentleman might 
be supposed to wear occasionally at the present day. 
I only wanted you to avoid the edges, and corners, 
and angles with which a modern coat is so oddly and 
formally clipped out at the present day. 

"I received yesterday yours of the 19th," writes 
Leslie in reply, *' and hasten to relieve your mind from 
any apprehensions you may entertain with regard to 
the costume of your portrait, which is still in my room 
exactly in the state in which you last saw it. I 
shall finish it in a day or two strictly according to 
your wishes. The Venetian dress was only a phan- 
tom of Peter Powell's imagination, conjured up to 
disturb your evening dreams." 

The whimsical personage who had thus amused 
himself at the expense of the author, I have 
heard Mr. Irving characterize as a fine, honorable 
little fellow, with a fund of humor and a special 
gift for mimicry. One of his performances was 
a burlesque of the opera of " Moses in Egypt " ; 
another, an oratorio in which he began by hand- 
ing in his imaginary female singers, and Leslie 
hints at a third, in an allusion to his " gallanting 
that imaginary flock of geese." It was a great 
treat to his fiiends to witness these comic exhibi- 
"•ions, but in all his travesties, said Mr. Irving, in 
attempting an exemplification of one of them, 
there was nothing overdone. He made his ao- 



874 LIFE AND LETTERS 

quaintance when preparing the first number of 
the " Sketch Book," and introduced him after- 
wards to Leslie and Newton, with the first of 
whom he became a great crony. 

November 30, 1820, he writes to Leslie: — 

I hear that you are going on with the sketches for 
" Knickerbocker," and that you have executed one on 
the same subject Allston once chose, namely, " Peter 
Stuyvesant rebuking the cobbler.'' I wish you would 
drop me a line and let me know what subjects you 
execute, and how you and Murray make out together. 
I hear that you have taken the " Childe " to Murray's ; 
you have only to make him acquainted with Willis 
and Peter Powell, and he will then be able to make 
one at your tea-kettle debauches. 

" The Childe " had just written to him that 
Willis had sent them home at four in the morn- 
ing, " reeling with Bohea." 

The letter proceeds : — 

I have just made a brief but very pleasant excur- 
sion into Lower Normandy in company with Mr. 
Ritchie. I must refer you to a letter scribbled to 
Peter Powell for a full and faithful narrative of this 
tour. 

I have not this letter, but some pencil memo- 
randa of the tour show that he started on the 8th 
November, and that his travels extended to Hon- 
fleur, at the mouth of the Seine, the scene of his 
story of " Annette Delarbre " in " Bracebridge 
Hall." 

In his answer, dated December 3, Leslie 
says : — 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 375 

The subjects I have chosen are a Dutch fireside, 
with an old negro telling stories to the chddren ; 
William the Testy suspending a vagrant by the heels 
on his patent gallows ; Peter Stuyvesant confuting 
the cobbler ; and Anthony Van Corlear taking leave 
of the young vrows. All of them I have finished 
except the last, and Mr. Murray appears to be highly 
pleased with them. 

He is delighted with Allston's picture of " Wouter 
Van Twiller," Avhich will be engraved with the rest. 
He talks a great deal about you, whenever I see him, 
in terms of the highest praise and friendship. The 
" Sketch Book " is entirely out of print. 

I like all the subjects that you have chosen for the 
designs [writes the author in reply], except that of 
William the Testy suspending the vagabond by the 
breeches. The circumstance is not of sufficient point 
or character in the history to be illustrated. 

Leslie, in explanation, assigns as a reason for 
the selection, that Murray wished one design at 
least from the reign of each governor, and he 
was puzzled in finding one that could be brought 
within a small compass from that part of the 
book. '• I was somewhat fearful of it myself,'* 
he adds, " but Newton thinks you would like it." 

Meanwhile the new candidate for fame was 
steadily gaining in reputation in England. " I 
think you are a most foi-tunate fellow of an author," 
writes Peter Powell, December 3, " in regard to 
jTOur debut amongst us in this critical age, for I 
have not heard of your having so much as a nose 
or a member of any kind cut up by the anatom- 
ists of literature ; on the contrary, there seems to 
be almost a conspiracy to ^ist you over the heads 



376 LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 

of your contemporaries." And Leslie writes, 
December 24 : " Miller says Geoffrey Crayon is 
the most fashionable lellow of the day. I am 
very much inclined to think if you were here 
just now, * company would be the spoil of you.'" 
Then, begging to be remembered to his brother 
Peter, he concludes : "All the lads join in wish- 
ing you both a merry Christmas and happy New 
Year. I intend appropriating a part of to-mor- 
row to reading your Christmas article. I shah 
stick up your portrait before my face, and bury 
myself in an enormous elbow-chair I have got, 
over which ' Murphy often sheds his puppies,* 
relying on the book I shall hold in my hand to 
act as a charm against the seductions of the seat. 
These associations are the best means by whieb 
I can console myself for your absence." • 




CHAPTER XXVI. 

Makes the Acquaintance of Thomas Moore, the Poet. — Visil 
to the Prison of INIarie Antoinette. — Letter to Brevoort. — 
Reasons for remaining Abroad. — Moore. — Canning. — 
Moore's Hint of the Origin of " Bracebridge Hall." — 
Another Glimpse of Irving from Moore. — John Howard 
Payne. — Talma. — His Performance of Hamlet. • -Letter 
to Leslie. — Kenney, Author of '' Raising the Wind," etc. — 
Luttrel. — Introduced to the Hollands. — Murray begs his 
Acceptance of an Additional One Hundred Pounds for the 
" Sketch Book." — The Author's Letter thereupon. — 
Reads Manuscript to Moore. — Bancroft. — Sets off for 
England July 11th, hoping to have Something ready for 
the Press by Autumn. 




T was at the close of this year that Mr. 
Irving made the acquaintance of one of 
the most brilliant and delightful of his 
contemporaries, Thomas Moore, the Irish poet, 
then an absentee in Paris, on account of some 
pending liabilities of government against him, 
arising out of the defalcation of his deputy at 
Bermuda, which he was hoping to adjust. Moore 
has this entry on the subject in his diary : — 

December 21, 1820. — Dined with McKay at the 
table d'hote at Meurice's for the purpose of being 
made known to Mr. Washington Irving, the author 
of the work which has lately had success, the 
" Sketch Book ; " a good-looking and intelligent- 
mannered man. 



378 LIFE AND LETTERS. 

McKay, who brought the two authors together, 
was an Irish gentleman who had come to the 
French capital from England on a mission to in- 
spect the prisons ; and two days after (December 
23), he, Lord John Russell, Moore, and Mr. Ir- 
ving were visiting in company the room in which 
the ill fated Marie Antoinette was confined. 

I find loose among his papers this brief record 
of the visit to a place seldom open to a stranger's 
inspection. 

I have just returned from the prison of Marie 
Antoinette. Under the palace of Justice is a range 
of cavernous dungeons, called the Conciergerie, the 
last prison in which criminals are confined previous to 
execution. We were admitted through grated doors, 
and conducted along damp dark passages, lighted in 
some places by dim windows, in others by lamps. 
On these passages opened the grates of several dun- 
geons in which victims were thrown during the rev- 
olution, to indulge in the horrible anticipation of 
certain death. My flesh crept on my bones as I 
passed through these regions of despair, and fancied 
these dens peopled with their wretched inhabitants. 
I fancied their worn and wasted faces glaring through 
the grates, to catch, if possible, some ray of hope or 
mitigation of horror, but seeing nothing except the 
sentinel pacing up and down the passage, or perhaps 
some predecessor in misery, dragged along to execu 
tion. In this were confined the victims of Robes- 
pierre, and finally Robespierre himself. 

From this corridor we were led throufjh a small 
chapel into what at present forms the sacristy, but 
which was once the dungeon of the unhappy Queen 
of France. It is low and ar hed ; the walls of pro- 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 379 

digious t lickness, lighted dimly by a small -^ indow. 
The walls have been plastered and altered, and ths 
whole is fitted up with an air of decency ; nothing 
remains of the old dungeon but the pavement. In 
one part is a monument placed by Louis XVIIL, 
and around the dungeon are paintings illustrating 
some of the latest prison scenes of her unhappy life. 
The place is shown where her bed stood, divided 
simply by a screen from the rest of the dungeon in 
which a guard of soldiers was constantly stationed ; 
beside this dungeon is the black hole — I can give it 
no better term — in which the Princess Elizabeth 
was thrust a few hours prior to her execution. 

Never have I felt my heart melting with pity 
more than in beholding this last abode of wretched- 
ness. What a place for a queen, and such a queen ! 
one brought up so delicately, fostered, admired, 
adored. 

The acquaintance with Moore thus commenced 
grew speedily into intimacy, as will be seen by 
the following letter to Brevoort, in answer to one 
urging his return to New York. 

Paris, March 10, 1821. 
Dear Brevoort : — 

You urge me to return to New York 
and say, many ask whether I mean to renounce my 
country. For this last question I have no reply to 
make, and yet I will make a reply. As far as my 
precarious and imperfect abilities enable me, I am 
endeavoring to serve my country. Whatever I have 
written has been written with the feelings and pub- 
lished as the writing of an American. Is that re- 
nouncing my country ? How else ain I to serve my 
country V by coming home and begging an office of 
it; which I should not have the kind of talent or 



380 LIFE AND LETTERS 

the business habits requisite to fill ? If I can do any 
good in this world it is with my pen. I feel that 
even with that I can do very little, but if I do that 
little and do it as an American, I think my exertions 
ought to guarantee me from so unkind a question as 
that which you say is generally made. 

As to coming home, I should at this moment be 
abandoning my literary plans, such as they are. I 
should lose my labor in various literary materials 
which I have in hand, and to work up which I must 
be among the scenes where they were conceived. I 
should arrive at home at a time when my slender 
finances require an immediate exercise of my talents, 
but should be so agitated and discomposed in my 
feelings by the meetings with my friends, the revival 
of many distressing circumstances and trains of 
thought, and should be so hurried by the mere at- 
tentions of society, that months would elapse before 
I could take pen in hand, and then I would have to 
strike out some entirely new plan and begin ah ovo 
As to the idea you hold out of being provided for 
sooner or later in our fortunate city, I can only say 
that I see no way in which I could be provided for, 
not being a man of business, a man of science, or 
in fact, anything but a mere belles-lettres writer. 
And as to the fortunate character of our city ; to 
me and mine it has been a very disastrous one. I 
have written on this point at some length, as I wish 
to have done with it. My return home must depend 
upon circumstances, not upon inclinations. I have 
by patient and persevering labor of my most uncer- 
tain pen, and by catching the gleams of sunshine in 
my cloudy mind, managed to open to myself an 
avenue to some degree of profit and reputation. I 
value it the more highly because it is entirely inde- 
pendent and self-created ; and I must use my best 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 381 

endeavors to turn it to account. In remaining, 
therefore, abioad, I do it with the idea that I can 
best exert mj talents, for the present, where I am ; 
and that I trust, will be admitted as a sufficient re- 
ply from a man who has but his talents to feed and 
clothe him 

I have become very intimate with Anacreon 
IVIoore, who is living here with his family. Scarce a 
day passes without our seeing each other, and he 
has made me acquainted with many of his friends 
here. He is a charming, joyous fellow ; full of 
frank, generous, manly feeling. I am happy to say 
he expresses himself in the fullest and strongest 
manner on the subject of his writings in America, 
which he pronounces the great sin of his early life. 
He is busy upon the life of Sheriilan and upon a 
poem His acquaintance is one of the most gratify- 
ing things I have met with for some time ; as he 
takes the warm interest of an old friend in me and 
my concerns. 

Canning is likewise here with his family, and has 
been very polite in his attentions to me. He has 
expressed a very flattering opinion of my writings 
both here and in England, and his opinion is of 
great weight and value in the critical world. I had 
a very agreeable dinner at his house a few days 
since, at which I met Moore, Sir Sidney Smith, and 
several other interesting characters. 

" You keep excellent company in Paris," Bre- 
voort answers. " Anacreon ]Moore and Mr. Can- 
ning; these are names that set one's blood in 
motion." Brevoort would have been glad if he 
nad enriched his letters with more particulars of 
the interesting characters he was meeting, but his 
friend used jestingly to say that he was now liv- 



882 LIFE AND LETTERS 

ing by nis pen, and must save up all liis anecdotes 
and good things for 1 is publishers. 

Nine days after the date of this letter, March 
19, Moore furnishes this interesting glimpse of 
the author, and of the origin of " Bracebridge 
Hall," the work which Mr. Irving was next to 
give to the world. 

19^^. — Too happy to dine at home to-day. Bessy 
in low spirits at parting with our dear Anastasia, 
who goes to-day to Mrs. Forster's. Irving called 
near dinner time ; asked him to stay and share our 
roast chicken with us, which he did. He has been 
hard at work writing lately ; in the course of ten 
days has writen about one hundred and thirty pages 
of the size of those in the '* Sketch Book ; " this is 
amazing rapidity. Has followed up an idea which 
I suggested, and taken the characters in his " Christ- 
mas Essay," Master Simon, etc., etc., for the pur- 
pose of making a slight thread of a story on which 
to string his remarks and sketches of human manner 
and feelings ; left us at nine. 

A week later we have from Moore this furthei 
glimpse of Irving at a dance at the poet's new 
apartments, in celebration of the tenth aniversary 
of his marriage to Bessy, for whom, with all hia 
devotion to the gay world, Mr. Irving used al- 
ways to bear witness, his affection was deep and 
unchanging. 

26^7i. — Bessy busy in preparations for the dance 

this evening Went into town too 

late to return to dinner, and dined at Very's alone. 
Found on my return our little rooms laid out with 
great management and decorated with quantities of 



% OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 383 

flowers, wLich Mrs. Story had sent. Our company, 
Mrs. S. and her cousins, Mrs. Forster, her two dauirh- 
ters and Miss Bridgeman, the Villamils, Irving, Cap- 
tain Johnson, Wilder, etc., and tlie Douglases. Began 
with music ; Mrs. V., Miss Drew, and Emma Forster 
Bung. Our dance afterwards to the pianoforte very 
gay, and not the less so for the floor giving way in 
sundry places ; a circle of chalk was drawn around 
one hole, Dr. Yonge was placed sentry over another, 
and whenever there was a new crack, the general 
laugh at the heavy foot that produced it, caused more 
merriment than the solidest floor in Paris could have 
given birth to. Sandwiches, negus, and champagne 
crowned the night, and v»'e diil not separate till near 
four in the morning. Irving's humor began to break 
out as the floor broke in, and he was much more him- 
self than ever I have seen him. 

A fev7 loose leaves of an imperfect journal of 
the author, found among his papers after his 
death, give an interesting account of his first 
meeting with Talma, the great French tragedian, 
in company with John Howard Payne, the young 
American Roscius of former days. Payne was 
a fellow townsman of Mr. Irving, who had ap- 
peared with great eclat at the Park Theatre 
in iN^ew York in his sixteenth year, in the char- 
acter of young Norval. He had outgrown all 
tragic symmetry after leaving his country in 
1813 to try his success in England, and from 
being an actor, had assumed at one time the man- 
agement of Sadler's Wells ; had failed in this and 
got in debt. He afterwards brought out Junius 
Brutus, a tragedy which he had manufactured out 
of two or three plays. Jt had a great run, and 



384 Lr^E AND LETTERS * 

Mr. Irving called on him in London to congratu- 
late him on his success : but alas ! its success haa 
proved his ruin. It brought his creditors down 
upon him, and he was thrown into prison. Here 
he wrote " Teresa, or the Orphan of Geneva," 
which was successful and extricated him. Then 
he escaped to Paris, where ]\Ir. Irving met him. 
Payne was a fluent writer, and for a w^iile a suc- 
cessful performer ; but he is most favorably known 
at the present day as the author of '* Home, 
Sweet Home," a popular song which he intro- 
duced in his opera of " Clari, or the Maid of 
Milan." The profits arising from it, realized by 
the manager and not by Payne, have been stated 
to have amounted to two thousand guineas in two 
years. 

Paris^ April 25th, 1821. — Breakfasted this morn- 
ing with John Howard Payne. He has the first floor 
of a small house, in a garden No. 16 Petit rue de St. 
Petre, Pont aux choux. The morning was fine and 
the air soft and spring-like. His casements were 
thrown open, and the breezes that blew in were ex- 
tremely grateful. He has a couple of canary birds, 
with a little perch ornamented with moss. He stands 
it in the window, and they fly about the garden and 
return to their perch for food and to rest at night. 

Payne is full of dramatic projects, and some that 
are very feasible. 

After breakfast we strolled along the Boulevards, 
gossiping, staring at groujDS and sights and signs, and 
looking over booksellers' stalls. He proposed to me 
to call on Talma, who had just returned to Paris. 
He has a suite of apartments in a hotel, No. — Rue 
dcs Petitcs Augustines. He has a seat in tho coun- 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 38^ 

try about — miles from Paris, of which he ia ex- 
tremely fond, and is continually altering and improv- 
ing, though he can seldom get there above once a 
week. He is about to build a town residence, and 
at present lives in lodgings. I got Payne to mount 
before me, as I did not wish to call on Talma so un- 
ceremoniously. Payne found him changing his linen. 
He requested him immediately to bring me up. On 
entering he received me in a very friendly, frank 
way, and turning to Payne, said : " Why he is quite 
a young man ; " it seems he had expected to see an 
old one ; his room was full of furniture, and books, 
etc., rather confused. I remarked a colored engrav- 
ing of John Kemble. 

Talma is about 5 feet 7 or 7i inches English 
rather inclined to fat, with large face and thick neck. 
His eyes are bluish, and have a peculiar cast in them 
at times. He speaks English well, and is very frank, 
animated, and natural in conversation ; a fine, hearty 
simplicity of manner. Asked me if this was my 
first visit to Paris ; told him that I had been here 
once before — about fourteen years since. " Ah ! 
that was in the time of the Emperor," said he. He 
remarked that Paris was very much changed ; thinks 
the French character greatly changed ; more grave. 
You see the young men from the colleges, said he ; 
how grave they are ; they walk together, conversing 
incessantly on politics and other grave subjects ; says 
the nation has become as grave as the English. 

We spoke of the French play of Hamlet. I asked 
if other of Shakespeare's plays were adapting for 
the French stage. He believed not. He thinks 
there is likely to be great changes in French dra- 
ma. The public feel greater interest in scenes that 
come home to common life and people in ordinary 
situations, than in the distresses of heroic per- 
voL. 1. 25 



386 LIFE AND LETTERS 

sonages of classic literature. Hence they never 
come to the Theatre Fran^ais except to see a few 
great actors, but they crowd to the minor theatres to 
see the representation of ordinary life. He says the 
revolution has made so many strong and vivid scenes 
of real life pass before their eyes, that they can no 
longer be affected by mere declamation and fine lan- 
guage ; they require character, incident, passion, 
life. 

Says if there should be another revolution it would 
be a bloody one. The nation (i. e. the younger part, 
children of the revolution) have such a hatred of the 
priests and noblesse, that they would fly upon them 
like sheep. Mentions the manner in which certain 
parts of plays have been applauded lately at Rouen . 
one part which said, " Usurpers are not always ty- 
rants." When we were coming away he followed 
us to the door of his ante-chamber ; in passing 
through the latter I saw childrens' swords and sol- 
diers' caps lying on the table, and said, " your chil- 
dren, I see, have swords for playthings." He replied 
with animation, that all the amusements of the chil- 
dren were military ; that they would have nothing to 
play with but swords, guns, trumpets, drums, etc. 

It was after this interview that Mr. Irving 
saw Talma's performance of Hamlet, and I find 
among his papers this allusion to the tragedy and 
the actor. 

The successful performance of a translation of 
Hamlet has been an era in the French drama. It 
is true the play has been sadly mutilated ; it has 
been stripped of its most natural and characteristic 
beauties, and an attempt has been made to reduce it 
to the naked stateliness of one of their own dramas ; 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 387 

but it still retains enou2;h of the wild maonificence 
of Shakespeare's imagination to give it an individual 
character on the French stage. Thouoh the ahost of 
Hamlet's father does not actually tread the boards, 
yet he hovers in idea about his son, and the powerful 
acting of Talma gives an idea of this portentous 
visitation far more awful and mysterious than could 
be presented by any spectral representation. The 
effect of this play on the French audiences is aston- 
ishing. The doors of the theatre are besieged at an 
early hour on the evening of its representation ; the 
houses are crowded to overflowing ; the audience 
continually passes from intervals of breathless atten- 
tion to bursts of ungovernable applause. I have 
seen a lady carried fainting from the boxes, overcome 
by the acting of Talma in the scene with his mother, 
where he fancies he sees the spectre of his father. 

Newton had at this time acquired a good deal 
of distinction from a picture, " Le Facheux," 
which had got one of the best places at the ex- 
hibition, between Wilkie and Jackson. It had 
made quite a sensation in the papers, and had 
been purchased by Thomas Hope, the author of 
" Auastasius." He could hardly have been more 
fortunate in the character of the purchaser or 
the gallery to which it was destined, Hope having 
the finest collection in London. " 1 have some- 
thing of your feeling," he writes to the author of 
the " Sketch Book," February 10, 1821, " on oc- 
casion of this distinction, and am terribly nervous 
lest I should not get as good a subject for my 
next." 

At the date of the leaf or fragment which fol 
lows, and which, like the note of his visit to 



888 LIFE AND LETTERS 

Talma, I gleaned from some literary rubbish of 
the author, Moore had changed his quarters for a 
cottage in the neighborhood of St. Cloud ; and 
Kenney, the delineator of '' Jeremy Diddler," had 
found a nestling place in the elbow of an old 
royal castle on the crest of a hill opposite. 

Mcuj IGtJi, 1821. — I took an early dinner at 4 
o'clock, and rode out afterwards to see Moore. Took 
a place in a cuckoo to St. Cloud. It wiis a lovely 
afternoon, and the walk through the park of St. 
Cloud was delightful; views of the Seine, with boats 
driftinfr down it : brido;es crossing: it. Found Moore 
at his cottage in the park of Mr. Villamil's seat, La 
Butte ; a very pretty cottage ; magnificent scenery 
ail about it. It stands on the side of the hill that 
rises above Sevres. Tq the left is St. Cloud and its 
grand park. The Seine winds at the foot of the 
hill, and the great plain of Neuilly lies before you, 
with the Bois de Bouloo;ne and Paris in tlie distance : 
glorious effect of sunset on Moore's balcony ; the 
gilded dome of the Invaliiles flaming in the sunshine. 

Accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Moore, and the Villa- 
mils to Mr. Kenney's, author of " Raising the Wind," 
etc. He married the widow of Holcroft, who had 
several children ; her stock and his own make eight 
children. They have apartments in one of the 
wings, or rather the offices of the old chateau of 
Bellevue, built by Louis XV., wliere he and Madame 
Pompadour lived. The old chateau is a picture of 
grandeur in decay ; the windows broken ; the clock 
shattered ; the court-yards grass-grown ; apartments 
in a ruined and dilapidated state. Kenney's estab- 
lishment squalid ; remains of magnificent i'urniture ; 
old sofa, with gri(fin-head arms ; old stools, which 
had doubtless been for the courtiers in the royal 
%partm(n»ts. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 389 

Kenney a very worthy and a very pleasant fellow ; 
a thin, pale man, with a gentleness of demeanor and 
manner, and very nervous. He gave some descrip- 
tions of scenes in London with admirable truth and 
character. Moore told me that he was once giving 
Kenney an account of bis misfortunes ; the heavy 
blow he sustained in consequence of the default of 
his agent in Bermuda. Kenney expressed the 
strongest sympathy. " Gad, sir, it's well you were 
a poet ; a philosopher never would have borne it." 

June 21, we have this mention in Moore's 
diary of a dinner at his cottage, in which Lord 
John Russell, Luttrel, the author of " Advice to 
Julia," then newly arrived, and Irving, were his 
guests. " In speaking of my abuse of the Amer- 
icans, Irving said it was milucky that some of 
my best verses were upon that subject; 'j)ut 
them in his strongest pickle,' said Luttrel." 

Luttrel was noted for the grace and delicacy 
of his wit, and I have heard Mr. Irving express 
admiration of an impromptu specimen which oc- 
curred -about this time in his presence. 

Moore, Luttrel, and himself were walking to- 
gether, when Moore alluded to the uncertain fate 
of a female aeronant who took her flight into the 
empyrean and continued to ascend in her "airy 
ship," until she was lost to view, and, added the 
poet, " never heard of more." " Handed out by 
Enoch and Elijah," was Luttrel's immediate and 
Uappy response. 

In Moore's diary we have this further glimpse 
uf his friend at Paris. 



3^0 LIFE AND LETTEKH 

July 2d, 1821. — Took Irving to present him to 
the Hollands ; iny lady very gracious to him. 

Mr. Irving was at this time so anxious to get 
on with his literary pursuits, that he rather 
avoided the gay world. 

I have advances made me by society [he writes 
to Brevoort not long before], that were I a mere 
seeker of society, would be invaluable ; but I dread 
BO much being put out in my pursuits and distracted 
by the mere hurry of fashionable engagements that 
I keep aloof and neglect opportunities which I may 
perhaps at some future day look back to with regret. 

About this time he received from his London 
publisher the following concise authority to draw 
on him for a hundred pounds, a second gratuitous 
contribution for the '^ Sketch Book," of which, 
writes Newton, " Murray says its success, con- 
sidering all things, is unparalleled." 

London June 20, 1821. 
My dear Irving : — 

Draw upon me for a hundred pounds, of which I 
beg thy acceptance, and pray tell me how you are 
a.nd what you are about ; and above all, pardon my 
short letter. Believe me ever, 

Thy faithful friend, 

John Murray. 
There is a review of the " Sketch Book " in the 
" Quarterly," which you will like. 

The following is the author's reply : — 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 891 

[To John Murray.'] 

Paris, July 6, 1821. 
My dear Sir : — 

I write in very great haste to acknowledge the 
receipt of your letter of the 29 th ult. I am ex- 
tremely happy to hear that the " Sketch Book " has 
been favorably noticed in the " Quarterly." I have 
not seen the Review, but I doubt whether any 
criticism in it can be so emphatic as that in your 
letter. You were certainly intended for a critic. 
I never knew any one convey so much meaning in 
so concise and agreeable a manner. In compliance 
with your request, I have drawn on you for a hun- 
dred pounds in favor of Mr. Samuel Williams of 
London. The supply came opportunely. I am on 
the point of leaving Paris for Brussels, and where 
I shall go from thence is at present undetermined ; 
but I shall write to you from the Netherlands, should 
I make any stop there. 

I have been leading a " miscellaneous " kind of 
life at Paris, if I may use a literary phrase. I have 
been rather distracted by engagements, in spite of 
all my efforts to keep out of society. Anacreon 
Moore is living here, and has made me a gayer fellow 
than I could have wished ; but I found it impossible 
to resist the charm of his society. Paris is like an 
English watering-place, with the advantage of the 
best kind of amusements, and excellent society. 

I have scribbled at intervals, and have a mass of 
writings by me ; rather desultory, as must be the 
case when one is so much interrupted ; but I hope, 
m the fullness of time, to get them into some order. 

I write in extreme haste, having to pack up and 
make other preparations for departure. 



392 LIFE AND LETTERS 

With my best regards to Mrs. Murray and th 
rest of your family, I am, my dear sir, 

Very faithfully yours, 

Washington Irving. 

In this letter, the author is " on the point of 
leaving Paris for Brussels;^' but a sudden change 
of purpose comes over him, and he determines to 
start for London at once, to be in time for the ap- 
proaching coronation of George IV. ; hoping also 
to get something ready for the press by autumn. 
One of his last acts in Paris, is to read to Moore 
a portion of the manuscript of " Buckthorne and 
his Friends," originally designed for " Bracebridge 
Hall," his next work, but forming part of the con- 
tents of "The Tales of a Traveller'' which suc- 
ceeded it. He had already read a portion of it 
to the poet, " sitting on the grass in the walk up 
the Rucher." 

July 9lh. — Moore has the following : Irving came 
to breakfast for the purpose of taking leave (being 
about to set off for England), and of reading to me 
some more of his new work ; some of it much livelier 
than the first he read. He has given the descrip- 
tion of the booksellers' dinner so exactly like what 
I told him of one of the Longmans (the carving 
partner, the partner to laugh at the popular author's 
jokes, the twelve edition writers treated with claret, 
etc)., that I very much fear my friends in Paternoster 
Row will know themselves in the picture. 

Subsequently, he aiFords the author an oppor- 
tunity to improve the picture by personal obser- 
vation, a part of his record of May 22, 1822, in 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 803 

London being : " Introduced Irving to the Long- 
mans, and dined with him there." 

It is no disparagement of the poet, however, 
to say, as has been said by a critical authority, 
that the picture " owed everytliing to Irving's 
handlino:." 

It must have been about this time, also, that 
jMr. Irving read to our distinguished historian 
George Bancroft, then fresh from two years 
study at Gottingen, a portion of the work he was 
preparing for the press.. " During a summer in 
Paris," says that gentleman in his commemora- 
tive remarks before the New York Historical 
Society, " I formed with him that relation of 
friendly intimacy, which grew in strength to the 
last. Time has in a measure effaced the relative 
difference in our years, but then he was almost 

twice as old as I One evening, 

after we had been many hours together, he took 
me to his room, and read to me what he had 

written at one sitting I remember 

it to this day: it was his ' St. Mark's Eve,' from 
the words ' I am now alone in my chamber,' to 
the end." 

The last glimpse we have in Moore's Diary, 
of Irving at Paris, is the following : — 

July lOlh. — Went in to dine at Lord Holland's. 
Company, Lord John, Fazakerly, Irving, Allen. 

Kenney and Irving set off for England 
to-morrow. 

The poet does not mention what I have heard 
Mr. Irving speak of as an impressive recollection 



S:/4 LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 

of the occasion, that Talma came in after dinner 
with the news of the death of Napoleon. 

The next day he set off for England, accom- 
panied by Kenney, who by the way, was the per- 
sonage alluded to in his " Life of Goldsmith," as 
the author whom he had seen with his back to a 
tree and his foot to a stone, trying to bother out 
a scene in a farce which he could not manage to 
his satisfaction. 





^(^^m 







CHAPTER XXVII. 

The Coronation of George IV. — Meeting with Scott. — De- 
tained in London about a Play of Payne. — Literary Con- 
cerns. — Excursion to Birmingham witli Leslie. — " The 
Stout Gentleman." — Its Moral. — Kept at Birmingham by 
Illness. — Newton's Introduction to La Butte by himself. 
Leslie and Powell's Joint Account of their Housekeeping 
in Buckingham Place. — Letter to Leslie. — Death of his 
Brother William. — Moore. 




R. IRVING arrived in London the day 
before the coronation, and the next 
morning got a stand on the outside of 
Westminster Abbey, with Newton and Leslie, to 
see the procession pass. The following day he 
called on Scott, who congratulated him in his 
hearty manner on his success, and asked him if 
he had seen the coronation. He told him he had 
seen the procession on the outside. " you 
should have been inside." " Why I only came 
3ver the day before, and I did not know how to 
manage it." " Hut, man," said Scott, " you 
should have told them who you were, and you 
would have got in anywhere." At parting, 
Scott expressed his regret that he would not 
probably see anything more of him in London, as 
he was engaged up to the hub. 

Mr. Irving had not meditated any stay in Lon- 
don, but was kept there some time in a fruitless 



396 LIFE AND LETTERS 

attempt to bring upon the stage a petite comedy 
of John Howard Payne, entitled " The Bor- 
rower," which he had sent him from Paris. 
The circumstances of Payne were such as to 
call for prompt action in the matter, and as Eng- 
land was not open to him by reason of his debts, 
he had availed liimself of Mr. Irving's kindness 
to send him the manuscript. He wrote July 14, 
apprising him of its transmission, but the letter 
would seem not to have taken a very direct 
course, and to have kept Mr. Irving in London 
waiting its receipt some time after he had hoped 
to have joined his sister in Birmingham. Payne 
laments, in a letter of August 12, that his kind 
dispositions towards him should have been the 
source of any derangement of his plans. 

In a letter to Peter, dated London, September 
6, he says : — 

I have a variety of writings in hand, some I think 
superior to what I have already published ; my only 
anxiety is to get them into shape and order. 

I have fagged hard to get another work under way, 
as I felt that a great deal depended upon it, both as 
to reputation and profit. I feel my system a little 
affected now and then by these sedentary fits to 
which, until two or three years past, I have not been 
accustomed. When I get my present manuscript 
finished and off of hands, I think I will give myself 
holiday. 

Mr. Irvins: brouijht with him to London the 
manuscript of the chief part of " Bracebridge 
Hall," in the rough, intending or hoping to make 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 397 

arrangements for its publication in the autumn. 
Ou reading to Leslie " Buckthorne,'* the part of 
his " writings in hand " which he had in view in 
the letter to Peter, just quoted, as in his judg- 
ment " superior to what " he had "•' already pub- 
lished," the artist suggested that he should retain 
that as the groundwork of a novel, and substitute 
something else. He accordingly threw it by, 
and replaced it with the *' Student of Salamanca ; " 
an ill-judged change, as he afterwards regarded it, 
but he was prone to yield too readily to the sug- 
gestions of others. 

It was about the 9th of September, that Mr. 
Irving and Leslie started on the excursion to 
Birmingham, of which the latter speaks in the 
extract given below. Irving had been previously 
suggesting to Leslie for his pencil, the subject 
of Shakespeare brought up for deer stealing, 
having a picture in his own mind, which the 
artist, after repeated efforts, could not make out. 
He caught at the idea at first, however, and was 
in pursuit of materials, when they started off to- 
gether, intending to bring up at the residence of 
Mr. Van Wart, Irving's brother-in-law. 

In the account of the expedition which fol- 
lows, Leslie touches upon the origin of *' The 
Stout Gentleman," the gem of " Bracebridge 
Hall." I transcribe from his Autobiography. 

Towards the close of the summer of 1821, I made 
a delightful excursion with Washington Irving to 
Birmingham, and thence into Derbyshire. Wo 
taounted the top of one of the Oxford coaches at 
three o'clock in the afternoon, intending only to go 



398 LIFE AND LETTERS 

as far as Henley that night ; but the evening was so 
fine, and the fields filled witii laborers gathering in 
the corn by the light of a full moon, presented so an- 
imated an appearance, that although we had not 
dined, we determined to proceed to Oxford, which 
we reached about eleven o'clock, and then sat down 
to a hot supper. 

The next day it rained unceasingly, and we were 
confined to the inn, like the nervous traveller whom 
Irving has described as spending a day in endeavor- 
ing to penetrate the mystery of " the stout gentle- 
man." This wet Sunday at Oxford did in fact sug- 
gest to him that capital scory, if story it can be called. 
That next morning, as we mounted the coach, I said 
something about a stout gentleman who had come 
from London Avith us the day before, and Irving re- 
marked that " The Stout Gentleman " would not 
be a bad title for a tale ; as soon as the coach 
stopped, he began writing with his pencil, and went 
on at every like opportunity. We visited Stratford- 
on-Avon, strolled about Charlecot Park and other 
places in the neighborhood, and while I was sketch- 
ing, Irving, mounted on a stile or seated on a stone, 
was busily engaged with " The Stout Gentleman." 
He wrote with the greatest rapidity, often laughing 
to himself, and from time to time reading the man- 
uscript to me. We loitered some days in this classic 
neighborhood, visiting Warwick and Kenilworth ; 
and by the time we arrived at Birmingham, the out- 
line of " The Stout Gentleman " was completed. 
The amusino; account of " The Modern Knights Er- 
rant," he added at Birmingham, and the inimitable 
picture of the inn-yard on a rainy day, was taken 
from an inn where we were afterwards quartered at 
Derby, 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 399 

If I may venture to add anything to this de- 
lightful sketch by Leslie, which harmonizes with 
all that Mr. Irving has told me relative to the 
composition of that story, one of the few things 
he had written, of which from the first, as I have 
heard him say, he had never doubted, it is that 
he gave the concluding touch to it, sitting on a 
grave-stone in Lillington church-yard close by 
Leamington, while Leslie was sketching a view 
of Warwick castle, which the yard commanded. 

Another anecdote rises to my memory, con- 
nected with that light and frolicsome specimen of 
his pen. 

I was once reading aloud in his presence, a 
very flattering review of his works, which had 
been sent him by the critic in 1848, and smiled 
as I came to tliis sentence : " His most comical 
pieces have always a serious end in view." " You 
laugh," said he, with that air of whimsical sig- 
nifiqance so natural to him, " but it is true. I 
have kept that to myself hitherto, but that man 
has found me out. He has detected the moral 
of the 'Stout Gentleman.'" 

Mr. Irving had intended but a short visit to 
the residence of his sister at Birmingham, but 
was detained there nearly four months by illness, 
most of the time confined to the house. 

I have been upwards of two months in England, 
[he writes to his brother Ebenezer, September 28], 
I came over in hopes of getting some manuscript 
ready for the press this autumn, but ever since my 
arrival in England I have been so much out of 
health as to prevent my doing anything of conse- 



400 LIFE AND LETTERS 

quence with my pen. I have been troubled with 
bilious attacks, to which I had never before been 
subject. It is the consequence of being too much 
within doors, and not taking exercise enough. I am 
now dieting myself and taking medicine, and I trusf 
I shall, with a little care and attention, get myself 
in fine order again. I am very anxious to get some- 
thing into print, but find it next to impossible, in my 
present state of health, to do anything material. 
Murray is also extremely desirous ; and indeed the 
success of my former writings would insure a run to 

anything I should now bring forward 

You have wished for an additional number of the 
" Sketch Book," but I have not been able to prepare 
one, being occupied with other writings. If you 
could clear off the stock of odd numbers that re- 
main, even though it should be at considerable sac- 
rifice, I wish you would do it. We could then 
publish a complete and corrected edition in two 
volumes. 

The following letter to Leslie is written eleven 
days later from his sister's house, which he desig- 
nates with characteristic playfulness, Edgbaston 
Castle, as he had styled her husband, Van Wart, 
on a former occasion. Baron Von Tromp, and 
his residence the Castle of the Von Tromps. 

Edgbaston Castle, October 9, 1821. 

My dear Leslie : — 

I have been looking for a letter from you every 
day. Why don't you drop me a line ? It would be 
particularly cheering just now. I have not been 
out of the house since you left here ; having been 
much indisposed by a cold, 1 am at the mercy of 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 401 

every breath of air that blows. I have had pains in 
my head, my flice swollen, and yesterday passed the 
greater part of the day in bed, which is a very ex- 
traordinary thing for me. To-day I feel better ; but 
I am sadly out of order; and what especially an- 
noys me is, that I see day after day and week after 
week passing away without being able to do any- 
thing Have you begun any new picture 

yet, or have you any immediately in contemplation ? 
I received a letter from Newton, which I presume 
was forwarded by your direction. Why did }'ou not 
open it? It was dated the 15th September. He 
had arrived but two or three days ; had sailed up 
the Seine from Havre to Rouen with my brother in 
the steamboat. He had dined with Moore, had 
passed a day in the Louvre, where he met Wilkie, 
and strolled the gallery with him. He speaks in 
raptures of the Louvre. He says it strikes him in 
quite a different way from what it did when he was 
there befoi'e. He intended to go to woi-k a day or 
two afterwards, and expected to pass the greater 
part of his time there. 

Have you seen Murray ? when you see him you 
need not say where I am. I want the quiet, and 
not to be bothered in any way. Tell him I am in a 
country doctor's hands at Edgbaston somewhere in 
Warwickshire. I think that will puzzle any one, as 
Edgbaston has been built only within a year or two. 
Get me all the pleasant news you can, and then sit 
down in the evening and scribble a letter without 
minding points or fine terms. My sister is very 
anxious to hear of you. You have quite won her 
heart, not so much by your merits as by your atten- 
tion to the children. By the Avay, the little girls 
have become very fond of tiie pencil since you wera 

VOL. I. 26 



402 LIFE AND LETTERS 

here, and are continually taking their dolls' like- 
nesses. Ever yours, 

W. I. 

In a postscript, dated the 17tli, of Newton's 
letter here alluded to, the artist mentions his 
dining with Moore the day preceding, and in the 
body of the letter he gives this account of his 
introduction to La Butte : — 

I was presented last night at La Butte in a most 
characteristic manner. As Mr. Moore leaves town 
in a day or two, Mr. Story thought no time should 
be lost to introduce me, so set off for that purpose 
after dark and in the rain, which, as you know the 
place, will of itself give you an idea of the enter- 
prise. I, of course, was ignorant of the situation, or 
I should have opposed it, as it was undertaken on my 
account. As it was, figure to yourself Mrs. Story 
equipped with an old gentleman's shoes (who sat in 
a carriage the wliile), and me with a lanthorn and 
umbrella, slipping about, drabbled, and sometimes lost 
in those mazes of which I have only still a sort of 
nightmare recollection. I was extremely mortified 
at being the cause of so much disaster, but they did 
not seem to think it so much out of the way, and as 
we came off happily, I was on the whole glad of the 
oddity of the adventure. This and some other little 
traits amused me extremely, as corresponding with 
the idea you had given me of this coterie. 

October 22, Leslie writes him : — 

Powell and I commenced housekeeping a week 
ago. It is probable that nothing will more astonish 
you on your return than the metamorphosis at Buck 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 403 

ingham Place. Not to speak of -window curtains, 
a piano-forte, small knives and plates at breakfast, 
you will be surprised to find an academy established 
on the principle of mutual education in various 
branches of learninc; and the fine arts. Duringr 
breakfast, Powell gives me a lesson in French. At 
five we both study carving. After tea I teach him 
to draw the figures, and at odd times he instructs 
himself in German and the piano-forte, and once a 
week he unfolds to me the mysteries of political 
economy according to Cobbett. Instruction is even 
extended beyond our walls, as far indeed as Sloane 
Street, where Powell delivers a weekly lecture on 
perspective. In this way we pass the time ; and I 
am quite sure that if I get through the winter as 
I have passed the last week, and with you and New- 
ton here, it will be the most agreeable one I shall 
have spent in London. I was glad to hear of New- 
ton from you. I did not see his letter or I should 
have opened it. I am at present painting the por- 
traits of two little girls, and making a drawing from 
the " Royal Poet," the incident of the dove flying 
into the window. Powell has promised to fill up the 
sheet. I must therefore bid you good-by. 

Powell fills up the sheet after this burlesque 
fashion : — 

I am beginning to be ashamed of the prejudices 
I had imbibed about Buckingham Place. All preju- 
dices are hateful, and jpeople ought to live in every 
spot they do not like, in order to ascertain whether 
their opinions are well or ill-founded. There are 
many charms about this place, the enjoyment of 
which I never contemplated. While I am now writ- 
ing, in addition to the enjoyment of my tea and 



404 LIFE AND LETTERS 

rolls, a sort of troubadour is warbling beneath my 
window, together with the partner of his bosom, 
and a little natural production between both, equally 
regardless of fame and weather, and seemingly smit- 
ten only by the love of half-pence ; the pleasure of 
getting which in this neighborhood, must, I suppose, 
like that of angling, be greatly increased by the 
rarity of the bite. Those things about us here, 
that to the common view appear disagreeable, tend 
to increase our happiness. The repose and quiet of 
our eveninor talk or studies is rendered still more so 
by its contrast with a matrimonial squabble in the 
street, or the undisguised acknowledgment of pain 
in the vociferations of a whipped urchin up the 
court. 

We are also much more pastoral here than you 
would imagine. 

We have a share in a cow^ which makes its ap- 
pearance twice a day in a blue and white cream-jug. 
We eat our own dinners, and gertPraUy have enough. 
Yesterday, to be sure, we came a little short, in con- 
sequence of Leslie, who acts as maitre d'hotel, hav- 
ing ordered a sumptuous hash to be made from a cold 
shoulder of lamb, the meat of which had been pre- 
viously stripped from it with surgical dexterity by 
our host himself during the three preceding days. 
There have been a great many disputes in all ages 
about the real situation of Paradise. I have not, 
to be sure, read all the arguments upon the subject ; 
but if I were to go entirely by my own judgment, I 
should guess it to be somewhere near the corner of 
Cambridge Court, Fitzroy Square. 

Adieu, and in creased health to you. 

Yours, etc., etc., etc. 

P.P. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 405 



The following is the author's reply to Leslie, 
the address to his " friend Peter " being missing. 

Edgbaston, October 25, 1821. 
My dear Leslie : — 

I thank you a thousand times for your letter. I 
had intended to have answered your preceding one 
before, but I am not in mood or condition to write, 
and had nothing to say worth writing. I am still in 
the hands of the physician. I have taken draughts 
and pills enough to kill a horse, yet I can not deter- 
mine whether I am not rather worse oflf than when I 
began. 

I cannot at this moment suggest anything for 
your Christmas piece. I do not know your general 
plan. Is it to be a daylight piece, or an evening 
round a hall fire ? Is there no news of Newton ? 
If I had thought he would remain so long at Paris, I 
would have written to him. I am glad to hear that 
you are so snugly fixed with friend Powell for the 
winter, thouo-h I should have been much better 
pleased to have heard that you were turned neck 
and heels into the street. Keconcile it to youi'self as 
you may, I shall ever look upon your present resi- 
dence as a most serious detriment to you ; and were 
you to lose six or even twelve months in looking for 
another, I should think you a gainer upon the whole. 

What prospects are there of the plates being fin- 
ished for Knickerbocker and the " Sketch Book ? " 
When do you begin a large picture, and what sub- 
ject do you attack fii-st ? It is time you had some- 
thing under way. I must leave a space to reply to 
friend Peter ; so farewell for the present, 

Yours, ever, W. I. 

Two days after the date of this letter, Mr. 
Irving received one from Ebenezer, informing 



406 LIFE AND LETTERS 

him that his brother William was gradually grovr- 
ing weaker under a seated consumption. He 
died November 9, 1821. 

In alluding to the loss of this brother, whom 
he describes as having been " a kind of father to 
them all," he speaks of him in a later letter as 
" a man full of worth and talents, beloved in 
private and honored in public life." Paulding 
has also recorded his appreciation of him as " a 
man of wit and genius." William died at the 
age of fifty -five. His disease was thought to have 
been hastened by over anxiety in business. He 
had been about retiring at the close of the war 
with a handsome fortune, when a cloud came over 
the commercial world, and though not involved 
in the embarrassments of his brothers, he found 
himself a serious sufferer from the times, and 
obliged to continue a life of exertion when his 
health required entire repose. 

About this time Mr. Irving received from 
Newton a letter, which gives the following tid 
ings of Moore. 

Moore's affairs are settled, and he is coming to live 
in England ; he goes to France on Monday next ; 
he is sitting to me. He desires his best regards to 
you, and had he known you were in Birmingham 
would have stopped there. 

Moore had come over incog, from Paris some 
three weeks before the date of this letter ; had 
settled his affairs ; that is, the Bermuda difficulty, 
with the money arising from the sale to Murray 
of the ^ Memoirs of Byron," which the poet had 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 407 

given him iu Italy some two years previous^ 
to make what use of them he pleased, though 
with the understanding that they could not be 
published during his life. He was now about to 
return to Paris, where he remained nearly four 
months after Mr. Irving had gone up to London. 
He had passed through Birmingham twice dur- 
ing his incognito, without being aware of Mr. 
Irving's presence in that city. The last time was 
October 21, on his way from Ireland to London. 
His diary gives the following record for the next 
day. 

October 22. — Arrived in London at 7 incog. • 
Was preparing, as usual, to sneak out 
in a hackney coach, when Rees arrived with the 
important and joyful intelligence that the agent has 
accepted the £1,000, and that I am now a free man 
again. Walked boldly out into the sunshine, and 
showed myself up St. James Street and Bond Street. 

Moore had returned to Paris on the 11th of 
November, and when he visited London again in 
April, he rescinded his bargain with Murray for 
the " Memoirs of Byron," making himself a 
debtor to the publisher for the two thousand 
guineas advanced, and leaving the manuscript in 
his hands as security for its repayment. These 
memoirs, which were not destined to see the 
light, Mr. Irving had read while in Paris with 
Moore. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

Return to London. — Transmits First Volume of '' Brace- 
bridge Hall." — Moses Thomas. — Cooper and " The Spy." 
— Sends off Volume II. *' Bracebridge Hall." — Makes Con- 
tract with Murray for Publication in England. — John Ran- 
dolph. — Mrs. Siddons. — Visit to Wimbledon, one of the 
Country- Seats of Karl Spencer. — Meeting with Rogers. — 
Visit to the Country Seat of Thomas Hope. — Lines written 
in the Deep Dene Album. — Rogers. — Matthews, the 
Comedian. — Preparing for an Excui'sion into Germany. 




^R. IRVING returned to London on the 
26th of December, and four weeks 
thereafter transmitted across the Atlan- 
tic the first volume of '' Bracebridge Hall," which 
he had hoped to have had ready for the press the 
precedint; autumn, but which had been retarded 
by indisposition, depression, and the fact that when 
he had got it nearly complete he was induced, as 
has been before stated, to subtract from it a large 
portion, which would form the foundation of a 
work by itself, and task himself in the height of 
his illuess to supply its place. 

[ To Ebenezer Irving.'] 

London, January 29, 1822, 
My dear Brother : — 

By the packet from Liverpool which brings this 
letter I forward you a parcel, containing the fii^t 
volume of " Bracebridge Hall, or the Humourists," 



LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 409 

a medley in two volumes. I had hoped to have 
sent botli volumes, but I have not been able to get 
the second volume ready in time for this opportu- 
nity, though I have tried until the last moment. 
You will receive it, however, by the next opportu- 
nity, and very probably before you can have mada 
the necessary arrangements for printing. At any 
rate, put the first volume to press immediately and 
publish it as soon as possible, with or without the 
second volume. As it is not like a novel, but rather 
a connected series of tales and essays, it is of no 
great importance that they should be published to- 
gether ; but it is of the greatest importance that 
some part of the work should appear as early as pos- 
sible, to give me some chance of securing copy-right. 
I shall have to put it to press here in a very short 
time, as the season is advancing, and my publisher is 
very impatient ; besides, the public has been expect- 
ing something from me for some time past, ?nd it 
will not do to let expectation get too high. If the 
work is not got out, therefore, very soon in America, 
there will be a chance of an English copy getting 
out beforehand, and thus throwing me at the mercy 
of American publishers. Should the number of copies 
make any material difference in the time of get- 
ting out the work, you had better let the fii'st edition 
be rather small ; and put another to press the mo- 
ment I furnish you with proof sheets of the English 
edition, in which there will doubtless be many alter- 
ations, as I have not had time to revise some parts 
of the Avork sufficiently, and am apt to make altera- 
tions to the last moment. 

The work had better be printed in duodecimo ; 
and to save time in binding, let the volumes be put 
ip in lettered covers like the " Sketch Book." The 
lecond edition can be got up in better style. The 



410 LIFE AND LETTERS 

first volume runs, as near as I can guess, between 
340 and 350 pages of the American edition of the 
" Sketch Book." The second volume will be about the 
same size. You can make your estimates accord- 
ingly. Put what price you think proper. I do not 
care about its being a very high one. / wish^ eX' 
pressly, Moses Thomas to have the preference over every 
other publisher. I impress this upon you, and beg 
you to attend to it as earnestly as if I had written 
three sheets full on the subject. Whatever may 
have been his embarrassments and consequent want 
of punctuality, he is one who showed a disposition to 
serve me, and who did serve me in the time of my 
necessity, and I should despise myself could I for a 
moment forget it. Let him have the work on bet- 
ter terms than other publishers, and do not be de- 
terred by the risk of loss. 

My health is still unrestored. This work has kept 
me from getting well, and my indisposition on the 
other hand has retarded the work. I have now 
been about five weeks in London, and have only 
once been out of doors, about a month since, and 
that made me worse. 

From what Mr. Irving has told me, I infer he 
must have left his sick chamber this " once " to 
confer with Murray respecting the publication of 
'' The Spy," the first of Cooper's novels which 
created his reputation and laid the foundation of 
his claim to enduring literary distinction. Wiley, 
his American publisher, had sent the printed vol- 
ume to Murray, accompanied by a letter from 
Cooper, referring him to Mr. Irving for terms. 
Mr. Wiley at the same time wrote to Mr. Irving, 
apprising him of this proceeding, and requesting 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 411 

him, should Murray decline to make such an offer 
for the work as in his opinion it might be worth, 
" to call on some other respectable house." Mur- 
ray retained the work until Mr. Irving grew impa- 
tient for an answer, and then declined its publica- 
tion, as he had formerly done in the case of the 
" Sketch Book." Meanwhile, it found its way to 
the English public through another channel. Mr. 
Irving reported its fate in a letter to Wiley not 
in my possession, if it be still in existence, and it 
is that communication which led to this direct 
epistle from Cooper, prior to his adoption, as will 
be seen froui the signature, of his middle name 
of Fenimore. 

Dear Sir : — 

The friendly interest you have taken in the suc- 
cess of my books, demands of me a direct acknowl- 
edgment of your kindness. I was not very sanguine 
as to the success of the " Spy " in England, nor was 
I at all surprised when I learnt that the book was 
referred to Mr. Gifford, that INlr. Murray declined 
publishing it. If the latter is made sensible of tlie 
svil guidance that he has been subjected to, ore 
good purpose, at least, will follow the success which 
you are so good as to communicate. Mr. Benjamin 
W. Coles, of this city, is now in Europe, ai\d has 
been so kind as to take charge of my new work, 
" The Pioneers ; " I should be pleased to have him 
aided by your experience. If you meet he Avill 
probably call on you and you will find him a gentle- 
man of acquirements, and modest, pleasing manners. 

By a Mr. Halleck, the admirable Croaker, I have 
gent to Mr. Coles the first hundred pages of the 
vvork in print. I shall take proper caution to secure 
the copy-ri<i;ht in both countries, if it can be done. 



412 LIFE ^^.P LETTERS 

I desire, sir, to tlaank you again for your atten- 
tion to my interests, and the advice for my future 
government. 

Very respectfully, 

Your servant, 
New York, July 30, 1822. James Cooper. 

Fitz- Greene Halleck, mentioned above, who 
shared with Joseph Rodman Drake the author- 
ship of the satirical effusions first published in 
the New York Eveninoj Post, under the " siana- 
ture of Croaker and Croaker and Co., was soon 
destined to a wider and more exalted celebrity in 
the front rank of American poets. Diake, whose 
genius gave promise of a brilliant career, died at 
the early age of twenty-five, leaving behind him 
in manuscript that exquisite creation of fancy, 
" The Culprit Fay." 

Mr. Irving was in Germany when this letter 
of Cooper was received, and did not return to 
London for some time, so that he had no oppor- 
tunity of conferring with Murray respecting the 
" Pioneers," of which he [Murray] became the 
publisher. 

The second volume of '' Bracebridge Hall " 
was dispatched to New York the last of Febru- 
ary, a month after the other, but reached its des- 
tination within eight days of it, the first having 
a passage of sixty days. They were received in 
April, and hurried through the press by Ebenezer 
for fear of being anticijDated by the copy on the 
English side. The work was printed in the style 
of the '' Sketch Book," and for want of time only 
a thousand copies were printed in the first edition ; 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 413 

* it would have been more profitable," says Eben- 
ezer, "to liave made the edition larger, but it 
would not do to venture on it." It appeared May 
21, 1822. Soon after Mr. Irving had sent the 
second volume to America, and thus given it a 
fair start, he proceeded to make a contract with 
Murray for its publication in England. 

When the author came up from Birmingham 
to London with the MS. of " Bracebridge Hall," 
Colburn called on him, introduced by Campbell 
the poet, and ofFeied him a thousand guineas for 
it, but he would not entertain a proposition to 
leave Murray. The latter had been very anxious 
to have something from hiui as the season was 
advancing, and when Mr. Irving went to him, at 
the instance of his friends, who probably knew 
his too easy acquiescence in any sum that might 
be offered, he was induced to name his own price, 
which was fifteen hundred guineas. This stag- 
gered Murray, who, after a moment's hesitation, 
began : " If you had said a thousand guineas; " 
" You shall have it for a thousand guineas," said 
Mr. Irving, breaking in. Murray was taken 
aback by this. He had probably been prepared 
to divide the difference, and go the length of 
twelve hundred and fifty guineas. When he 
found Mr. Irving respond so promptly to the les- 
ser sum, he sat down at once, and drew out the 
notes for the amount, and gave them to him, 
although he did not receive the manuscript until 
nearly two weeks afterwai As. He al^o threw in 
a handsome donation of books, which the author 
sent to his sister at Birminfrham. 



414 LIFE AND LETTERS 

After all, as his brother Peter writes him on 
healing of the bargain with Murray, "a thousand 
guineas has a golden sound." 

Mr. Irving sent the last proof of " Bracebridge 
Hall" to press in London, May 11, 1822. He 
had made great alterations and additions as the 
work was printing, so that the first English edi- 
tion differed considerably from the first American 
one. The two editions were published within 
two days of each other, the American appearing on 
the 21st, and the English on the 23d of May. 

Some time before the appearance of " Brace- 
bridofe Hall " in London, INIr. Irving found him- 
self getting the better of the tormenting malady 
in liis ankles, which had troubled him at Birming- 
ham, and confined him to the house since his 
arrival in London. He had been at a grievous 
expense with doctors to but little purpose, and 
he finally determined to undertake his own cure; 
*' for I fancy," he says, " I understand the com- 
plaint as well as any of them." His first step 
was to go out and take exercise every day. 
Finding his health improving under this regimen, 
he began to pay visits, and was soon in a con- 
stant hurry of engagements, in the midst of which 
Moore came over to London from Paris for a 
brief sojourn, arriving April 16, and leaving May 
7. During this interval his diary, for Mr. Irving 
kept none at this period, gives us a few glimpses 
of the author, of which I select the following : — 

May 2d. — Went with Irving to breakfast at Hol- 
land House. The Duke of Bedford came in after 
breakfast, fresh from his duel with the Luke of 
Buckingham. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 415 

May 5th. — Irving walked about with me ; called 
together at Lady Blessington's, who is growing very- 
absurd. " I have fel: very melancholy and ill all 
this day/' she said. " Why is that," I asked. 
" Don't you know ? " " No." " It is the anniver- 
sary of my poor Napoleon's death." 

In the following extract from a letter to Bre- 
voort, dated London, June 11, we find mention 
of John Randolph and Mrs. Siddous. 

John Randolph is here, and has attracted much 
attention. He has been sought after by people of 
the first distinction. I have met him repeatedly in 
company, and his eccentricity of appearance and 
manner makes him the more current and interest- 
ing ; for in high life here, they are always eager 
after anything strange and peculiar. There is a 
vast deal, too, of the old school in Randolph's man- 
ner, the turn of his thoughts, and the style of his 
conversation, which seems to please very much. 

Among other interesting acquaintances that I 
have made is Mrs. Siddons. She is now near 
seventy, and yet a magnificent looking woman It 
is surprising how little time has been able to impair 
the dignity of her carriage, or the noble expression 
of her countenance. I heard her read the part of 
Constance at her own house one evening, and I 
think it the greatest dramatic treat I have had for 
a long time past. 

Four days after the date of this letter, Mr. 
Irving received an invitation from Lady Spencer 
to dine vrith her at Wimbledon, one of the 
country seats of L^rd Spencer, about twelve 
miles from London. This was the lady whose 



416 LIFE AND LETTERS 

Cliristmas invitation 1x6 had not been able to ac- 
cept. At this dinner he first met the poet Rogers, 
who had lately returned from the continent ; and 
who, though a stranger, received him with the 
hearty cordiality of an old friend. Irving at this 
time was overrun with invitations from many ol 
whom he knew nothino-. Roofers cautioned him 
to be on his guard, or the commonplace would 
hunt him down. " Show me your list of invita- 
tions," said he, " and let me give you a hint or 
two. This accept," to one ; " that decline," to 
another ; to a third, " this man avoid by all 
means ; O ! he's a direful bore." Mr. Irving 
was quite amused at this worldly advice of the 
poet, and especially at the decided emphasis of 
the last sentence. Who the individual was, so 
impressively complimented, he did not specify 
wiien the anecdote fell fiom him. 

I have heard Mr. Irving relate the following 
curious incident, as occurring at Wimbledon, where 
it appears he passed the night. He was reading, 
as was his custom through life, in bed. His door 
suddenly opened cautiously, and in stalked a grim 
apparition in the shape of a man with a lantern, 
who quietly walked up to his light, and with some 
muttered sentence which escaped him, fextin- 
gnished it, and then walked out, shutting the door 
afier hiin, and leaving Geoffrey in a maze at the 
mysterious intrusion. Lady »Spencer laughed 
heartily when he mentioned the incident the next 
morning at breakfast. " O," said she, " that was 
my fireman ; we once lost a country-seat by fire, 
and ever since he has had orders to walk the 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 417 

corridors at night, and when he detects a light 
from under the door, to extinguish it." 

The next trace of him is June 21, when he is 
passing a few days at the country-seat of Mr. 
Thomas Hope, author of " Anastasius ; " from 
which he writes to his sister Catherine : — 

I am now writing from a country-seat in a beau ■ 
tiful part of the country where I am passing a fev 
days. It is the residence of Mr. Thomas Hope, one 
of the richest and most extraordinary men in Eng- 
land, not more famous for his wealth and masnif- 
icence than for being the author of '* Anastasius," a 
work of great merit and curious character. His 
wife, the Hon. Mrs. Hope, is one of the loveUest 
women in the kingdom, and one of the reigning de- 
ities of fashion. Their country-seat is furnished in 
a style of taste and magnificence of which I can give 
you no idea. With all this, they are delightfully 
frank, simple, and unpretending in their manners, es- 
pecially in their country retreat ; which is the true 
place to see English people to advantage. There 
are several persons on a visit here, besides myself, 
and time passes away very pleasantly. 

The following contribution to the Album at 
Deep Dene, the country-seat above mentioned, 
I take from the " Cornhill Magazine " of May, 
1860, in which it appeared after Mr. Irving's 
death. 

WRITTEN IN THE DEEP DENE ALBUM. 

June 24, 1822. 

Thou record of the votive throng 
That fondly seek this fairy shrine, 
TOL. I. 27 



418 LIFE AND LETTERS 

And pay the tribute of a song 

Where wortli and loveliness combine-* 

What boots that I, a vagrant wight 
From clime to clime still wandering on, 

Upon th}' friendly page should write — 
Who'll think of me when I am gone? 

Go plough the wave, and sow the sand; 

Throw seed to every wind that blows; 
Along the highway strew thy hand 

And fatten on the crop that grows. 

For even thus the man that roams 
On heedless hearts his feeling spends; 

Strange tenant of a thousand homes, 
And friendless, with ten thousand friends. 

Yet here for once I'll leave a trace, 

To ask in aftertimes a thought ; 
To say that here a resting-place 

My wa3'worn heart has fondly sought. 

So the poor pilgrim heedless strays, 
Unmoved, through many a region fair; 

But at some shrine his tribute paj's, 
To tell that he has worshipped there. 

Washington Irving. 

June 30, he writes to Brevoort from Lou- 
don : — 

Rogers, the poet, returned not long since from the 
continent, and I breakfast occasionally with him, and 
meet Crabbe and others of his literary friends. He 
has one of the completest and most elegant little 
bachelor establishments that I have ever seen. It 
is as neat, and elegant, and finished, and small, as 
his own principal poem. 

Matthews, the comedian, is coming out to mako 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 419 

a tour in America, which I have no doubt will be a 
successful one. His powers of entertainment are 
wonderful. Bj his talents at imitation, he in a 
manner raises the dead, and makes them walk and 
talk for your amusement ; for his specimens of Tatd 
Wilkinson. Macklin, Wilkes, etc., etc., are among the 
best of his imitations. He is a very correct, gentle- 
manlike man in private life, and at times the life of 
a dinner-table by his specimens of characters of the 
day. I shall give him letters to America, and among 
others to yourself. 

When Mr. Irving returned from Deep Dene 
to his lodgings in London, he found his table 
covered with invitations which had accumulated 
durino[ his absence. 

I have been leading a sad life lately [he writes to 
his brother Peter, June 30], burning the candle at 
both ends, and seeing the fashionable world through 
one of its seasons. The success of my writings gave 
me an opportunity, and I thought it worth while to 
embrace it if it were only for curiosity's sake. I have 
therefore been tossed about " hither and thither and 
whither I would not ; " have been at the levee and 
the drawing-room, been at routs, and balls, and 
dinners, and country-seats ; been hand-and-glove with 
nobility and mobility, until, like Trim, I have satisfied 
the sentiment, and am now preparing to make my 
escape from all this splendid confusion. 

He was intending to make the best of his way 
to Aix-la-Chapelle, for the benefit of the hatha 
and waters. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

Mx-la-Chapelle. — Old Custom. — Mayence. — Introduction 
to the " Tales of a Traveller." — Heidelberg. — Letter from 
Moore. — Munich. — Eugene Beauharnois. — Vienna. — 
The Young Napoleon. 




HE restless life which the author had 
been leading in London, had thrown 
him back in his recovery, and when he 
started for Aix-la-Chapelle, he was still rather 
lame from the lingerings of his complaint. From 
this ancient city, which he reached on the 17th 
of July, and where he spent some weeks, he 
writes to his sister, Mrs. Van Wart : — 

This is the birthplace, and was once the seat of 
empire of Charlemagne, that monarch so renowned 
in history and song. His tomb is in the cathedral, 
and is only marked by a broad slab of black marble, 
on which is the inscription, Carolo Magna. The 
cathedral is an extremely ancient, venerable-looking 
pile. Every night I hear the hours chimed on its 
bells ; and the midnight hours announced by the 
watchman from its tower. The Germans are full of 
old customs and usages, which are obsolete in other 
parts of the world. At eleven, twelve, and one 
o'clock, the watchman on the tower of the cathedral, 
when the clock strikes, blows as many blasts of a 
liorn as there are strokes of the clock ; and the sound 



LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 421 

of these warning notes of time in the stillness of the 
night, has to me something extremely solemn. 

From this "little old ghost-ridden city," as he 
terms Aix-la-Chapelle in his notes, he ascended 
tlie Rhine to Wisbaden, and proceeded thence to 
Mayence, where he remained about three weeks. 

It was from the Hotel de Darmstadt at May- 
ence, that the introduction to the " Tales of a 
Traveller" is datea. The author was thrown 
back in his recovery after his arrival at Mayence, 
and was detained there some time by indisf)osi- 
tion, as stated in that introduction, nor was Ka- 
trina, the pretty daughter of mine host, under 
whose tuition he conjugated ich Hebe, a fiction, 
but the tales really were written partly in Paris, 
and partly in England. As, however, he tells 
Peter, he was in hopes to have something under 
way for spring publication, it is probable he at- 
tempted some scribbling under the roof of the 
jolly publican, John Ardnot, from which the 
fancy took him to date his lucubrations from that 
hotel. From Mayence, which he left on the 
13th of September, he proceeded to Frankfort 
and thence through Darmstadt to Heidelberg. 

With all my ailments and my lameness [he writes 
to a sister from this place], I never have enjoyed 
travelling more than through these lovely countries. 
I do not know whether it is the peculiar fineness of the 
season, or the general character of tlie climate, but I 
never was more sensible to the delicious effect of at- 
mosphere : perhaps my very malady has made mo 
more susceptible to influences of the kind. I feel a 
kind of intoxication of the heart, as I draw in the 



422 LIFE AND LETTERS 

pure air of the mountains ; and the clear, transpar* 
ent atmosphere, the steady, serene, golden sunshine, 
seems to enter into my veiy soul. 

Awaiting his arrival at Heidelberg, which he 
had expected to reach much earlier, when he set 
out on his tour, Mr. Irving found the following 
letter. 

\_Froin Thomas Moore.'] 

August 5, 1822. 
My dear Irving : — 

I have been so deplorably lazy about writing to 
you, that I fear I ani now too late to catch you at 
Heidelberg, and lest it should be the fate of my 
letter to die in the Dead Letter office of a German 
town (" la plus morte mort " as Montaigne calls it, 
that I can imagine), I will only venture two or three 
hasty lines, to tell you that we are all quite well, and 
full of delight at the idea of seeing you here in au- 
tumn. I have taken up a subject for a poem since 
I came to Passy, and nearly finished it — only about 
twelve or thirteen hundred lines in all, which I shall 
publish singly. Bessy has been for some weeks 
(with that " John Bull," as Tom now calls himself) 
at Montmorenci, drinking the waters. I will just 
give you an extract from a letter I received from her 
yesterday, because I think it is about as good crit- 
icism as is to be had (for love at least, whatever 
there may be for money), nowadays. " I have just 
finished ' Bracebridge Hall,' and am more than ever 
delighted with the author. How often he touches 
the heart ! at least mine." I think you will agree 
with me that the modesty of this last limitation is 
such as critics would do well to imitate oftener. 
' Parlez pour vous " would dispel the illusions of the 
plurality exceedingly. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 423 

I want you very much here, and often express my 
wants aloud, though I have not Mrs. Story to giv« 
her gentle echo to them. She complains in her last 
letter to Bessy, that she has no longer any traces of 
your existence in the world. I could scribble a good 
deal more, now I have begun, but having the fear of 
that Epistolary Death at Heidelberg before my eyes, 
I must stop short, and am, my dear Irving, 
Ever faithfully yours, 

Thomas Moore. 

At the receipt of this letter, Mr. Irving was 
undetermined whether to return to Paris, or to 
Btrike into the interior of Germany and pass his 
winter in Dresden. He left Heidelberg on the 
30th of September, with his mind made up to the 
latter course, though at Strasburg as he records, 
he had to resist " several strong tugs of feeling 
that pulled him towards Paris." He reached 
Ulm on the 5th of October, continued along the 
Danube the next day to visit the field of Blen- 
heim, the famous battle-ground, and the day fol- 
lowing arrived at Munich, the capital of Bavaria, 
where " a grand fete on the king's birthday." 
gave him a fine opportunity of seeing both the 
court and the populace. 

I had a good view also [he writes], of Eugene 
Beauharnois, the stepson of Bonaparte. He married 
a daughter of the King of Bavaria, and is one of the 
most fortunate of Bonaparte's relatives and followers ; 
for he has ever maintained a character for honor and 
bravery, and now lives in opulence and ease, with a 
Buperb palace, a charming wife and family, beloved 
by his father-in-law, the old king, and esteemed by 
the public. 



424 LIFE AND LETTERS OF .EVING. 

On the 17tli of October, he left Munich for 
Salzburg, which he pronounces " one of the most 
romantic places, as to its situation and scenery he 
had ever beheld." Here he remained two or 
three days and then resumed his journey for 
Vienna, where he was occupied *' in looking about 
for nearly a month." In a letter to his sister 
from this city, dated November 10, he gives 
this glimpse of the young Napoleon. 

The Emperor is at present in Italy, attending the 
Cono;ress at Verona. I have seen the other members 
of the Imperial family several times at the theatre, 
where they appear in the Imperial box without any 
show, nor any sensation on the part of the audience, 
as it seems quite a common occurrence. The most 
interesting member of the family, however, was the 
young Napoleon, son of poor Boney. His mother, 
now called the archduchess Marie Louise, was, as you 
may recollect, daughter of the Emperor of Austria. 
She is now at Verona. The young Napoleon, or the 
Duke of Reichstadt, as he is called, is a very fine 
boy, full of life and spirit, of most engaging manners 
and appearance, and universally popular. He has 
something of Bonaparte in the shape of his head and 
the lower part of his countenance ; his eyes are like 
his mother's. I have seen him once in an open car- 
riage, with his tutor. Every one took off his hat as 
the little fellow passed. I have since seen him at 
the theatre, where he appeared to enjoy the play 
with boyish delight ; laughing out loud, and contin- 
ually turning to speak to his more phlegmatic u poles, 
the other young princes. 




CHAPTER XXX. 

From Vienna to Dresden. — Private Theatricals. — Letter to 

Mrs. Van Wart. — Letter to Peter. — The Conspiracy. — 

Plan's Sir Charles Rackett in " Three Weeks after Mar- 

iage." — Letter to Leslie. —Extracts from Note-Book. 

Leaves Dresden for Paris. 




EFORE he left Vienna, the author vis- 
ited the Imperial library, where he saw 
'M the MSS. of Tasso's " Jerusalem." He 
has this note on the subject : " I thought I saw a 
similarity between his handwriting and Lord By- 
ron's ; many alterations in MSS." He left Vienna 
on the 18th of November, and passing a few days 
at Prague on the way, arrived at Dresden on the 
28th. 

In this little capital, where his stay was pro- 
longed through several months, the author was 
destined to find a delightful residence. 

He met an old acquaintance here in Morier, 
the British minister, whom he had known as 
Charge at Washington, in 1811, and through him 
he soon found himself mingling familiarly wMth 
the diplomatic corps, who formed a sort of so- 
cial brotherhood. Here he also met for the 
first time, an English family by the name of 
Foster, with whom he became extremely intimate 
and to whom allusion is made in the notes and 



426 LIFE AND LETTERS 

letters which are to follow. Mrs. Foster had 
been for some thne residing in Dresden for the 
education of her children, two daughters now 
grown up, and two younger sons. Her house 
soon became a home to him. One of the daugh- 
ters, in a letter addressed to him long years after- 
wards, says of this period : " You formed a part 
of our daily life." I transcribe a letter from 
another daughter, which gives her impression of 
his character, as exhibited at this period of famil- 
iar intercourse. The letter, it will be seen, bears 
date after the author's death, and was addressed 
to me in reply to an application for his corre- 
spondence with the family. 

Thornhaugh Rectory, Wansford, J 
Northamptonshire, March 10, i860. ) 
Dear Sir : — 

I have sent a few extracts from Mr. Irving's let- 
ters that I thought were characteristic, or might be 
generally interesting, but only a few, for he ex- 
pressed so strong a desire that his correspondence 
should be strictly private, that I have only chosen 
those that I think he would not have disliked being 
made public, or I should feel as if I had violated the 
sacred confidence of a friendship so valued. The 
passages I have sent give an idea of his life in Dres- 
den. Sought after by all in the best society, and 
mingling much in the gay life of a foreign city, and 
a court where the royal family were themselves 
sufficiently intellectual to appreciate genius ; but 
veally intimate with ourselves only, and to such a 
degree that it gives me a right to judge of some 
points in his character. He was thoroughly a gen- 
tleman, not merely externally in manners and look 



OF WASHINGTON IliVING. 427 

but to tlie innermost fibres and core of his heart. 
Sweet-tempered, gentle, fastidious, sensitive, and 
gifted with the warmest affections, tlie most delight- 
ful and invariably interesting companion, gay and 
fall of humor, even in spite of occasional fits of mel- 
ancholy, which he was however seldom subject to 
when with those he liked — a gift of conversation 
that flowed like a full river in sunshine, bright, easy, 
and abundant. He stayed at Dresden till we left, 
and then accompanied us on our return home, even 
into the packet-boat, and left us in the channel. 
That was not, happily, our last parting ; he visited us 
in England, and I saw a good deal of him in London 
afterwards ; but the farewell in that open boat, with 
the looks of regret on all sides, seemed the real fare- 
well, and left the deepest impression. The picture 
he received in Paris was the little miniature you 
mention. I am dear sir, 

Yours very truly, 

Emily Fuller. 
You are quite welcome to make any use of my 
letter that you please. It is a very faint testimony 
of a real friendship. 

The " picture " referred to at the close of this 
tribute to the departed, was a miniature copy of 
the " Head of Herodias," painted by Miss Fos- 
ter, from the Dresden gallery, and which has been 
for years suspended from the walls of Sunnyside. 
' I treasure it," says the author in a letter to her a 
few years before his death, " as a precious memo- 
rial of those pleasant days." It was received by 
Mr. Irving at Paris four or five months after his 
parting with the family on their return to Eng- 
land in July, 1823. One of the records of his 



428 LIFE AND LETTERS 

diary at Paris, under date of December 15, 182S, 
is as follows : — 

Return home, and find parcel from Mrs. Fos- 
ter, with German books, and miniature painted bj 
Emilj. 

The first letter I find from Dresden was ad- 
dressed to Leslie a few days after his arrival. 
In it he says : — 

By dint of bathing and a little attention to diet, 
I have conquered the malady that so long rendered 
rae almost a cripple ; and the exercise, change of 
air, and refreshment of spirit incident to travelling, 
have operated most favorably on my general health. 
Since I wrote to Newton, I have been among the 
Salzburg mountains ; then by the way of Lintz to 
Vienna, where I remained nearly a month ; then 
through part of Moravia and Bohemia, stopping a 
few days at the fine old city of Prague, to this place, 
where I mean to winter. How I should have liked 
to have you as a travelling companion throughout 
ray summer's tour. You would have found continual 
exercise for the pencil, and objects of gratification 
ami improvement in the noble galleries that abound 
in the principal German cities. I shall now take a 
master and go to work to study German. If I can 
get my pen to work, so much the better ; but it has 
been so long idle that T fear it will take some time 

to get it in a working mood How 

often have I thought of you, in exploring some of 
these old German towns, where you might have a 
wing of a deserted palace almost for nothing. Such 
glorious painting-rooms, that might be blocked up or 
pulled to pieces at your humor 1 The living, in fact, 
is wonderfully cheap in many of the finest cities of 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 429 

Germany. In Dresden, for example, I have a very 
neat, comfortable, and prettily furnished apartment 
on the first floor of a hotel ; it consists of a cabinet 
with a bed in it, and a cheerful sitting-room that 
looks on the finest square. I am offered this apart- 
ment for the winter at the rate of thirty-six shillings 
a month. Would to Heaven that I could get su( h 
(piarters in London for anything like the money. I 
shall probably remain here until the spring opens, as 
this is one of the pleasantest winter residences, and 
peculiarly favorable for the study of the German 
language, which is here spoken in its purity. Which 
way I shall direct my wanderings when I leave this, 
I cannot say ; I find it is useless to project plans of 
tours, as I seldom follow them, but am apt to be 
driven completely out of my course by whim or cir- 
cumstance. 

The letter concludes : — 

Farewell my dear boy. 

Give my hearty remembrance to the " Childe," 
F'ather Luke, and all the rest of the fi-aternity, not 
forgetting my excellent and worthy friend, Peter 
Powell. 

The following letters, written after he had 
been more than three months in Dresden, give 
some pleasant glimpses of his mode of life in that 
city. 

[To Mrs. Sarah Van Wart.] 

Dresden, March 7, 1823. 

My dear Sister : — 

. . . . My winter in Dresden has been ex- 
tremely agreeable. 1 have become quite at home 



430 LIFE AND LETTEHS 

ciraong tlip. good people, and am invited to everytliing 
that is going on in the world of fashion and gayety. 
The old court has particularly pleased me from its 
EtlfF old-fashioned formalities, and buckram ceremo- 
nies. I have been treated uniformly with the most 
marked attention, by all the memljers of the royal 
fnmily, and am in great favor with the old (jueen. 
There is a singular mixture of state and familiarity 
in some of the court fetes. There have been, for 
Instance, several court balls given by the royal fam- 
ily. At those given by the king the common people 
are admitted as spectators, and rows of seats are 
erected for them on each side of the great saloon in 
which the company dance. Here then you see the 
nobility and visitors of the court, in full court-dresses, 
dancing in the centre of the saloon, while on each 
side are long banks of burly faces wedged together, 
men, women, and children, and gazing, and courtesy- 
ino; as at a theatre. As the court dances are not al- 
ways the most dignified, one would think this oppor- 
tunity of seeing royalty cutting capers, would be 
enough to destroy the illusion with which it is sur- 
rounded. There is one romping dance called " the 
Grandfather," something in the style of Sir Roger de 
Coverly, which generally winds up the balls, and of 
which the princes and princesses are extremely fond. 
In this I have seen the courtiers of all ages capering 
up and down the saloon to the infinite amusement 
of the populace, and in conformity to the vagaries 
of the dance, I have been obliged to romp about with 
one of the princesses as if she had been a boarding- 
school girl 

I wish I could give you a good account of my lit- 
erary labors, but I have nothing to report. I am 
merely seeing and hearing, and my mind seems in 
too crowded and confused a state to produce any- 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 431 

thing. I am getting very familiai- with the German 
language ; and there is a lady here who is so kind 
as to give me lessons every day in Italian [Mrs. 
Foster], which language I had nearly forgotten, but 
which I am fast regaining. Another lady is super- 
intending my French [Miss Emily Foster], so that if 
I am not acquiring ideas, I am at least acquiring a 
variety of modes of expressing them when they do 
come 

\_To Peter Irving."] 

Dresden, March 10, 1823. 
My dear Brother: — 

What a time have I suffered to pass by without 
writing to you. I can give no excuse for it but the 
wretched and unsatisfactory one, of continual pro- 
crastination, and too much distraction and dissipation 
of mind ; but I know you to be indulgent in these 
cases, and not to consider a casual career of dissipa- 
tion among the crying sins. I have been passing a 
very agreeable, a very icile, but I trust after all, a 
very profitable winter in Dresden ; fur though I have 
done nothing with my pen, and have been tossed 
about on the stream of society, yet I console myself 
with the idea that I have lived into a great deal of 
amusing and characteristic information ; which after 
all, is perhaps the best way of studying the world. I 
have been most hospitably received and even caressed 
in this little capital, and have experienced nothing 
but the most marked kindness from the king dov/n- 
wards. My reception, indeed, at court has been 
peculiarly flattering, and every branch of the royal 
family has taken occasion to show me particular atten- 
tion, whenever I made my appearance. I wish you 
were here with me to study this little court; it is 
just the thing that would delight you. It is ono of 



432 LIFE AND LETTERS 

the most formal and ceremonious in Europe, keeping 
up all the old observances that have been laid aside 
in other courts. The king is an excellent old gen- 
tleman, between seventy and eighty, but a stanch 
stickler for the old school. He has two brothers, 
Prince Max and Prince Antoine and the trio are 
such figures as you see in the prints of Frederick the 
Great. Prince Max is one of the most amiable old 
gentlemen I have ever met with ; his countenance 
and manners peculiarly benevolent ; he has two sons, 
Frederick and John (the former will one day inherit 
the thr-one), and two daughters, the youngest of 
whom is the present Queen of Spain. Prince An- 
toine, the other brother of the king, is a brisk, lively 
little gentleman ; very religious, but withal as great 
a hunter as Nimrod, and as fond of dancing as King 
David. He married a sister of the Emperor of Aus- 
tria, an old lady that is a complete picture of the 
dames of the old school. Prince Antoine has always 
shown a great fancy for me, and I believe I owe 
much of my standing in the old gentleman's favor, 
from dancing French quadrilles. I have dined with 
the king, and been at a number of balls and soirees 
given by the different members of the royal family. 
As at these balls every one must be in uniform or 
court dress, they are very showy. 

Among the other amusements of the winter, we 
have had a little attempt at private theatricals. 
These have been at the house of Mrs. Foster, an 
English lady of rank, who has been residing here for 
a couple of years. She has two daughters, most ac- 
complished and cliarruing girls. They occupy part 
o\' a palace, and in a large saloon a little theatre was 
fitted up, the scenery being hired from a small the- 
atre and the dresses from a masquerade warehouse. 
It was very m^cttily arranged, 1 assure you. We 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 433 

firtit tried Tom Thumb, which, however, went no 
further than a dressed rehearsal, in which I played 
the part of King Arthur, to Mrs. Foster's Dollalolla ; 
and the other parts were supported by some of the 
English who were wintering in Dresden. There was 
then an attempt to get up a little opera, altered fi'om 
the French by Colonel Livius, a cousin of Mrs. 
Foster, and some such a character as I have described 
in Master Simon in my last work. The colonel, 
however, who is a green-room veteran, and has 
written for the London theatres, was so much of a 
martinet in his managerial discipline, that the piece 
absolutely fell through from being too much managed. 
In the mean time a few of the colonel's theatrical 
subjects conspired to play him a trick, and get up a 
piece without his knoAvledge. We pitched upon the 
little comedy of " Three Weeks after Marriage" 
which I altered and arranged so as to leave out two 
or three superfluous characters. I played the part of 
Sir Charles Rackett ; Miss Foster, Lady Kackett ; 
Miss Flora Foster, Dimity; IVIrs. Foster, ISIrs. 
Druggett ; and a young officer by the name of 
Corkran, the part of Mr. Druggett. You cannot 
imagine the amusement this little theatrical plot 
furnished us. We rehearsed in Mrs. Foster's draw- 
ing-room, and as the whole was to be kept a profound 
secret, and as Mrs. Foster's drawing-room is a gi-eat 
place of resort, and as especially our dramatic sove- 
reign. Colonel Livius, was almost an inmate of the 
family, we were in continued risk of discovery, and 
had to gather together like a set of conspirators. 
We, however, carried our plot Into execution more 
successfully than commonly falls to the lot of conspir- 
ators. The colonel had ordered a dress rehearsal of 
his little opera ; the scenery was all prepared, the 
theatre lighted up, a few amateurs admitted ; the 
VOL. I. 28 



434 LIFE AND LETTERS 

colonel took his seat before the curtain, to direct the 
rehearsal. The curtain rose, and out walked Mr. 
and Mrs. Druggett in proper costume. The little 
colonel was perfectly astonished, and did not recover 
himself before the first act was finished ; it was a 
perfect explosion to bim. We afterwards performed 
the little comedy before a full audience of the Eng- 
lisb resident in Dresden, and of several of the nobil- 
ity that understood English, and it went off with 
great spirit and success. We are now on tbe point 
of playing *' The Wonder," whicb I have altered and 
shortened to suit the strength of the company, and 
to prune off objectionable parts. In this, I play the 
part of Don Felix, to Miss Foster's Violante. She 
plays charmingly ; the part of Colonel Briton I have 
had to alter into a British captain of a man-of-war, 
to adapt it to the turn of the actor who is to play it, 
namely Captain Morier, of the navy, brother of the 
British Minister. I have dwelt rather lono; on this 
subject because I know you relish matters of the kind. 

[To C. R. Leslie.'] 

Dresden, March 15, 1823. 

I have just been seized with a fit of letter-writ- 
ing, after having nearly forgotten how to use my 
pen, so I take the earliest stage of the complaint to 
scribble to you. I had hoped to receive a gratui- 
tous letter from you before this, but you are one of 
those close codgers who never pay more than the 
law compels them. 

How often I have wished for you and Newton 
during the last eight or nine months, in the course 
of which I have been continually mingling in scenes 
full of character and picture. 

The place where I am now passing my time is a 
complete study. The court of this little kingdom 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 435 

of Saxony is, perhaps, the most ceremonious and 
old-fashioned in Europie, and one finds here customs 
and observances in full vioor that have lonjr since 
faded away in other courts. 

The king is a capital character himself, — a com- 
plete old gentleman of the ancient school, and very 
tenacious in keeping up the old style. He has 
treated me with the most marked kindness, and 
every member of the royal family has shown me 
great civility. What would greatly delight you is 
the royal hunting establishment, which the king 
maintains at a vast expense, being his hobby. He 
has vast forests stocked with game, and a complete 
forest police, forest masters, chasseurs, piqueurs, jag- 
ers, etc., etc. The charm of the thing is, that all this 
is kept up in the old style ; and to go out hunting 
with him, you might fancy yourself in one of those 
scenes of old times which we read of in poetry and 
romance. I have followed him thrice to the boar 
hunt. The last we had extremely good sport. The 
boar gave us a chase of upwards of two hours, and 
was not overpowered until it had killed one dog, and 
desperately wounded several others. It was a very 
cold winter day, with much snow on the ground ; 
but as the hunting was in a thick pine forest and 
the day was sunny, we did not feel the cold. The 
kino; and all his hunting retinue were clad in an old- 
fashioned hunting uniform of green, with green 
caps. The sight of the old monarch and his retinue 
galloping through the alleys of the forest, the jiigcrs 
dashing singly about in all directions, cheering the 
hounds ; the shouts ; the blast of horns ; the cry of 
hounds ringing through the forest, altogether made 
one of the most animating scenes I ever beheld. 

I have become very intimate with one of the 
king's forest masters, who lives in a picturesque old 



436 LIFE AND LETTERS 

hunting lodge with towers, formerly a convent, and 
who has undertaken to show me all the economy of 
the hunting establishment. What glorious group- 
ings, and what admirable studies for figures and 
faces I have seen among these hunters. 

I have done nothing with my pen since I left you, 
absolutely nothing ! I have been gazing about, rather 
idly perhaps, but yet among fine scenes of striking 
character, and I can only hope that some of them 
may stick to my mind, and furnish me with materials 
in some future fit of scribbling. 

I have been fighting my way into the German lan- 
guage, and am regaining my Italian, and for want of 
more profitable employment have turned play actor. 

We have been getting up private theatricals here 
at the house of an English lady. I have already 
enacted Sir Charles Rackett in " Three Weeks After 
Marriage," with great applause ; and I am on the 
point of playing Don Felix in " The Wonder." I 
had no idea of this fund of dramatic talent lurking 
within me ; and I now console myself that if the 
worst comes to the worst I can turn stroller, and 
pick up a decent maintenance among the barns in 
England. I verily believe nature intended me to be 
a vagabond. 

I continue the sketch of his life at Dresden, 
with some extracts from his note-book, beginning 
some days after the date of the letter to Leslie, 
just given. 

April \st. — Write letters all the morning — little 
Madame de Bergh ^ makes an April fool of me. 2c?. 
— In evening, dressed rehearsal of " The Wonder *' 
at Mrs. Foster's. 3c?. IThursday.l — My birthday 

1 Wife of the Dauish Minister. 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 437 

— at one o'clock drive into the country with the 
Fosters and Colonel Livius ; . . . . return before 
dark. In the evening a small party at Mrs. Foster's 
to keep my birthday. The Miss Fosters prepare a 
surprise by getting up tableaux of scenes in the 
"Sketch Book" and « Bracebridge Hall" and 
Knickerbocker. The picture by Leslie of Dutch 
courtship admirably represented by Madame de 
Bergh and Captain Morier. Annette Delarbre by 
the young Countess Hernenbern, Madame Foster, and 
Captain Morier. Boar's Head Tavern, Eastcheap, 
by Mrs. Foster, Miss Flora Foster, and Captain 
Morier — conclude the evening by waltzing. 

Friday, 4tk. — Busy all day getting dress for the 
character of " Don Felix " — Mrs. Foster assists in 
new trimming a very handsome velvet dress, and 
makes a new scarf — in the evening we performed 
the play of " The Wonder, a Woman keeps a Secret," 
with great alteration. 

Don Felix, Mr. Irving. 

Col. Briton, Capt. Morier. 

Don Pedro, Mr. Pigott. 

Lvisardo, Col. Livius. 

Donna Violante, Miss Foster. 

Isabella, Miss Flora Foster. 

Marguerite, Mrs. Foster. 

Among: the audience were the Austrian Ambassa- 
dor, Count and Countess Palffy, Count and Countess 
Luxbourg, Citint Rumigny, Chevalier Campuzano, 
Countess Loos and daughters, Monsieur and Ma- 
dame de Bergh, the Lowensteins, Malsburg, Miss 
Fitzhern, Countess Lubinski, etc., etc., etc. 

April lOth. — . . . . Go to Ponic to hear 
decision about my having fired a pistol out of my 
window. The legal penalty twenty dollars and for- 



438 LIFE AND LETTERS 

felture. I am let off for two dollars e ight groschen 
fine, and two dollars some groschen cost, and the 
pistol returned to me. Very lenient on the part of 
Mr. Rarow the President. 

[The pistol was a small one, borrowed of 
Colonel Liviiis, to be used in playing Don Felix 
in " The Wonder," in the mock drunken scene. 
Finding it loaded, he opened a window, and fired 
it off; making himself unconsciously amenable 
to the law.] 

April 11th. — Read Italian with Mrs. Foster — 
dine there — after dinner read them some MSS. 

1 2th. — .... Go to the Fosters, and pass 
the evening reading from scrap books, and telling 
ghost stories until eleven o'clock. 

13^7*. — . . . . Go to the Lowenstein's and 
pass the evening there until near eleven — Mademoi- 
selle Annette very curious about my early history. 

Sundmj, April 27th. — Go to Mrs. F. — read Ital- 
ian till two — dine there early as there is a court 
ball at six — return home to dress — at six go to ball 
given by Prince Max in Prince Frederick's apart- 
ments — the King and Queen of Bavafia and ol 
Saxony there — dance with E. and F. Foster — 
Queen of Saxony sent the master of ceremonies to 
bring me to her — said she had not seen me for a 
century — that she had just received n^ works from 
Paris, and made many compliments on it — said she 
expected I would write something about Dresden, 
etc., and about the chasse [a purpose entertained by 
him, but never fulfilled]. — King of Bavaria told me 
he knew Franklin in Paris, and after Franklin's de- 
parture he had bought a horse and cabriolet which 



OF WASHING! ON IRVING. 439 

belonged to him — returned liome about ten or half 
past. 

3Iay bth. — Trotter calls and postpones the jour- 
ney to the Riesen Gebirge. — Go to Mrs. Foster's 
to read Italian — dine there with Cockburn, etc. 
— pass evening there till nine — Mrs. Foster very 
anxious for me to change my travelling plans and 
accompany them to England. 

May lAth. — Walked out to Prussnitz in morning. 
- — saw Cockburn, who agreed to accompany me in 
tour to Riesen Gebirge — went to Foster's in even- 
ing — spent a very pleasant evening chatting. 

On the 20th of May, in company with the 
young English officer just named, Mr. John 
Cockburn of the artillery, IMr. Irving set out on 
a tour he had been some time contemplatmg to 
the Riesen Gebirge, or Giant Mountains, a chain 
of mountains tliat sejDarate Silesia from Bohemia. 
He revisited Prague seven days after his depart- 
ure, and in this picturesque old city his stay was 
prolonged by the illness of his companion to the 
24th of June. He returned to Dresden on the 
26th of June, after an absence of five weeks. 
Here he remained until the 12 th of July, when 
he took his final departure for Pnri^:, travelling 
part of the way in company with his friends, the 
Fosters, who were on their return to England. 

They had made their house absolutely a home to 
me [he writes to Peter] during my residence in 
Dresden. I travefied in an open carriage with Mrs. 
Foster ; the two Miss Fosters and her two little boya 
followed on in a post chaise w/th their German tutor. 

The commencement of our tour was most auspi- 



440 LIFE AND LETTERS 

•••ious. but after leaving Leipsic, as we approached 
the Hartz regions, we met witli one of the most tre- 
mendous squalls of wind, dust, rain, hail, thunder 
. and lightning I ever experienced. 

I extract the particulars of this travelling inci- 
dent from some scarcely legible pencilled memo- 
randa. 

Mrs. Foster gets on the box with me — fine and 
warm — country begins to grow more varied — see 
a storm gathering ahead — it advances rapidly — I 
see that it is a thunder-gust and likely to be a se- 
vere one — get Mrs. Foster into carriage — make 
the carriage all fast and ready — mount the dicky 
with box coat and a fur mantle about my legs, and 
umbrella — gust comes on with a hurricane of wind, 
raising clouds of dust — the earth seems thrown up 
into the air — the clouds brown with dust — the 
whole atmosphere thickened and darkened — gust 
jonies more and more terrible — horses can hardly 
draw on the carriage — begins to rain — rain driven 
with incredible violence — hail — large as hazel- 
nuts — storm increases — one horrible blast of wind 
succeeds another — umbrella breaks and is whirled 
off into a neishborino; field — mantle flies after it — 
horses get frightened — I descend from coach-box 

— fear the carriage will be blown over — the two 
leaders become unmanageable — postilion jumps off 
and tries to hold them — they turn round and go 
down a bank — try to keep them quiet — they con- 
tinue restive — drasr carriage after them down a 
steep bank into a ditch — pole breaks — carriage 
overturns — rush to the place and get the ladies out 

— none hurt materially — bruised a little — drenched 
to the skin in an instant — leave them there and run 



OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 441 

to a house about half a mile off — find a smith's shop 
with a small country inn beside it — send workmen 
to look after the carriage, and order rooms to be pre- 
pared for ladies — run back to carriage — the 
storm is already over — find them all drenched to 
the skin, but in good spirits and unhurt — they walk 
to the inn — the carriage is with much trouble 
righted and dragged up the bank backward by two 
horses and six or eight men — get safe to the inn — 
a new pole is made — we all change our clothes, and 
after a repast of cold tongue and wine, set off in good 
spirits — the ladies give their hats, which were quite 
wet, to a pretty maid servant at the inn — and like- 
wise a shawl — she will be the belle of the neighbor- 
hood. 

This storm was " the overture to a long series of 
bad weather " [he writes to Peter] that lasted dur- 
ing our tour. Still there were intervals of beautiful 
sunshine which we enjoyed the more from contrast. 
We accomplished a tour through the Hartz moun- 
tains, which surpassed my expectations ; not from 
their height, but from the magnificence of the forest 
scenery, which reminded me of our American forests. 
We then passed through the Golden Arc or Golden 
Meadow, which lies between the Hartz and the Kyff- 
hauser mountains, and continued on to Hesse. I 
was delighted with the beauty of this last country, of 
which, somehow or other, I had no expectation. In 
about ten days from our leaving Dresden, we arrived 
at the beautiful little city of Cassel, the capital of 
Hesse, where we remained a couple of days to repose 
from the fatigues of travellinfj, and to have a little 
pleasant tiine together beibre we parted, as I had in- 
tended making the best of my way for Paris from 
that place. When it came to the last evening, how- 
ever, it seemed hard to part thus in the midst of a 



442 LIFE AND LETTERS OF IRVING. 

tour, so the next morning I resumed my seat in the 
carriage, determined to see my fair companions safely 
on board the steamboat at Rotterdam. We had 
better weather during the remaining part of the 
journey and passed through some lovely country ; a 
part of what was formerly Westphalia. At Rotter 
dam the Fosters embarked. I accompanied them 
down to the Brille and then bade them adieu as if 
I had been taking leave of my own family ; for they 
had been for nearly eight months past more like rel- 
atives than friends to me. 

I now made the best of my way for Paris, tyavel- 
ling day and night, excepting a short stay of a night 
and part of a day at Antwerp. I arrived here the 
day before yesterday [August 3], and have been 
taking lodgings in the Hotel de Yorck^ Boulevard 
Monimartre. I shall now put myself en train for lit- 
erary occupation, as it is high time for me to do 
something, having been so long unsettle i. 



END OF VOLUME I. 




